George building collapse: Another deceased worker recovered, 193 hours into rescue operation

The death toll in the George building collapse tragedy in the Western Cape has risen to 33 as of 3pm on Tuesday.

According to reports, most of the artisans working at the site of the residential building at the time of the collapse were foreigners from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

With Monday marking the 8^th day since the collapse of the five-storey structure in the George CBD, there are fears that the death toll could rise further.

Rescue efforts

The George Municipality said rescue workers and other role players have been on site for over 193 hours.

“The primary focus continues to be on rescue efforts. With this in mind, we are also proactively setting up plans to expedite the identification of the deceased. This is done by Forensic Pathology Service (FPS) and South African Police Service (SAPS). We, therefore, endeavour to fast-track the process to help bring closure to families.

“Fingerprints, DNA testing and photographs of unique markings such as tattoos and clothing items are some of the methods used to identify the deceased. FPS are not limited to the Victoria Street Disaster in George, but also include other cases that happen on a daily basis,” the municipality said.

ALSO READ: George building collapse: ‘Prima facie issues warrant further examination’ – Zikalala

Support

The George Municipality also confirmed that 19 of the estimated 81 construction workers who were on site when the five-storey building collapsed last Monday were still unaccounted for.

Twelve of the rescued workers are in hospital, while 62 have been rescued and recovered.

The municipality said it is experiencing difficulties in obtaining accurate names of individuals missing or deceased due to the building collapse.

“We urgently request families who have lost contact with their loved ones to come to the George Civic Centre on York Street. This will enable the Department of Social Development to collect detailed and precise information, ensuring that all records are accurately documented.

“There is still an urgent call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona languages to assist survivors and their families,” it said.

Collapse

The apartment building collapsed while still under construction last Monday.

Preliminary investigations have indicated concerns that warrant further examination regarding the collapse.

ALSO READ: UPDATE: George building collapse: Death toll rises to 27