Search and rescue operations continue at the Neo Victoria apartment building in Victoria Street in George on 9 May 2024. Picture: Gallo Images/Die Burger/Jaco Marais
After more than 116 hours, rescue operations at the George building collapse identified a person that was alive and later rescued him.
The man has been identified as 33-year-old tiler Gabriel Guambe.
The apartment building on Victoria Street collapsed on Monday while still under construction, leading to several fatalities.
Efforts to locate more trapped workers are still underway.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde confirmed that Guambe had been rescued and said it was “nothing short of a miracle”.
“Thank you to the rescue teams and volunteers who have been working so hard these last four to five days to rescue those trapped. We never gave up hope and today I cannot express the extent of my relief and joy. Thank you to all the teams – you are true heroes. I am so proud of you,” said Winde after Guambe was found alive.
Speaking to the media at the site on Saturday morning, Western Cape head of disaster management Colin Deiner said they were able to find Guambe after hearing him speak from under the debris on the fifth day into rescue mission.
“We heard somebody inside, we have stopped all the heavy operations. We actually spoke to him and he spoke back to us.
“He indicated to us that he has got weight on his legs and we are very concerned about that because it has been such a long period of time.”
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Additionally, the George Local Municipality indicated that officials were able to give the worker some water to drink while he was still trapped under the rubble.
The death toll currently stands at 13.
A total of 81 individuals were on the site at the time of the collapse, with 14 currently hospitalised.
It is believed that some of the workers are Zimbabwean, Mozambican and Malawian nationals.
“In our ongoing efforts to support survivors and families, we issue a call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona languages,” the municipality added.
According to the George municipality, a pre-application form for the proposed development was submitted to its town planning department by Jan Vrolijk Town Planner, acting on behalf of the owners of land, on 3 September 2020.
The building plan application was approved on 6 July 2023, and issued to the applicant, Deon van der Westhuizen Architects.
“The outcome for approval follows two prior outcomes not to approve the building plan based on details required regarding services and outstanding contributions. The plans were only approved once the building control officer was satisfied that the requirements were met,” the municipality said on Friday.
READ MORE: Another building collapse claims five lives in Ngcobo
The development was estimated at over R39 million.
At the time of the incident, construction has progressed up to and included the concrete roof “with various other disciplines busy with service installations”.
“The municipality has no record of previous safety violations by the developer within the George municipal area.”
Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has confirmed that his department will launch its own investigation into the collapse.
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