Search and rescue operations at the Neo Victoria apartment building in Victoria Street on 8 May 2024 in George, South Africa. Picture: Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais
Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the site of the building collapse in George on Sunday and promised the victims’ family members that investigations have begun.
He, however, couldn’t give them specific answers that they desperately wanted.
“Any kind of pre-empting what happened would be wrong. Maybe other people can talk about that, but the [police can’t do that],” he told family members at the George town hall.
He said police will let the public know as soon as any information comes out of the investigation.
“We will ask for space from you. It’s painful, you’re waiting, I know you’re anxious, but we’re asking for some space.
“The first prize now is to deal with those who have suffered,” said Cele. “The second prize is for you to know what happened but, from the side of the South African Police Service, the investigation has started.”
The police minister was at the site with National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola and Deputy National Commissioner for Policing and Special Operations, Lt-General Tebello Mosikili.
ALSO READ: Death toll rises to 17 in George building collapse
Cele said that the construction company has been asked to provide a list with the names of all the workers who were employed at the site of the building collapse.
Family members of the people still missing pleaded with the police minister to give them access to the site.
“We have been waiting and waiting. We don’t know anything. Tomorrow it will be a week,” said one woman while crying.
Cele spoke about how rescue workers are barely taking breaks in their efforts to find more people.
“I’m told that some sleep only two hours at a time.”
On Sunday afternoon, the death toll had risen to 19.
George Municipality fire chief Neels Barnard confirmed that two more bodies had been found by the rescue teams.
“They are currently busy with the recovery of those two victims, but it will take a while,” he said.
ALSO READ: George building collapse: Investigator says it’s too early to determine what caused ‘disaster’
Earlier in the day, the George Municipality said three more bodies were recovered.
At 3pm on Sunday, the George Municipality said there are still 33 people unaccounted for, while 14 have been hospitalised. Forty-eight people have been rescued or recovered.
It is believed that there were 81 people at the construction site when the building collapsed.
The apartment building on Victoria Street in George collapsed on Monday while still under construction.
On Saturday, 33-year-old tiler, Gabriel Guambe, was rescued from the rubble in what Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said was “nothing short of a miracle”.
Western Cape head of disaster management Colin Deiner said on Saturday that the rescue teams found Guambe after hearing him speak from under the debris.
“We heard somebody inside, we have stopped all the heavy operations. We actually spoke to him and he spoke back to us,” said Deiner.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Worker rescued after being found alive at site of George building collapse
The George Municipality on Sunday said Guambe is recovering well and will be reunited with his family on Monday.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
