[MUST READ] Eyewitness recounts moments after #Durbanbuildingcollapse
Soko offered his assistance to paramedics, who declined, before he left the scene.
A lack of emergency services responders at the scene of the partial building collapse in Jacobs earlier today was the first indication to passerby and eyewitness, Joel Soko that the building had come down mere moments before he drove past.
“I stopped my vehicle because my first thought was to see if anyone had been hurt. When I got there I heard from other bystanders that there were two people trapped beneath the rubble. There was a lot of commotion because there were people who wanted to help but were being stopped from doing so by construction workers. I think they stopped them because of safety reasons,” he said.
Reportedly 3 fatalities. Chamberlain road
Jacobs
Construction scene
Building collapsed
All services on scene to assist with entrapment @EMERGCONTROL @rescuecare @KZN_EMS pic.twitter.com/G67ZKtZy4c— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) March 28, 2018
He said there was a lot of panic as shocked people standing around became worried and agitated for those who were entrapped. “They just wanted to help them and they started shouting that they wanted to help. I called the fire department and I tried to drive to the fire station, but they must have got my call because they drove past me,” he added. He returned to the scene and arrived to find emergency services personnel helping the injured.
READ: Two confirmed dead at Jacobs building collapse site
He said people at the site were panicked to have heard that two men died when part of the building collapsed.
According to Garrith Jamieson, part of the building, which was apparently under construction, came down on top of a flat-bed truck. Concrete debris from the falling section struck the two workers, who were declared dead by paramedics at the scene shortly thereafter. One person is reportedly missing.
READ: Part of Jacobs building collapses onto truck [VIDEO]
Soko, who is a psychologist, said: “Something like this, you can’t prepare for – it becomes a state of panic for many people. It caused friction when bystanders who wanted to help but couldn’t, were turned away by others. Many of them got angry at those who were stopping them.”
Soko offered his assistance to paramedics, who declined, before he left the scene.
Water is gushing from a water pipe which was damaged in the collapse.
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