Search for more bodies continues
Johannesburg Emergency Services personnel, assisted by Ekurhuleni Emergency Services, are battling to retrieve the bodies of the two people still trapped inside the building.
A total of seven bodies have been found dead after the collapsing of the old power station in Orlando East, this is according to SAPS Soweto spokesperson, Kay Makhubela.
The first body was found on Wednesday and three more bodies on Thursday, and another three today.
The building collapsed after suspected metal thieves were in the building attempting to steal cables from the building.
One of the survivors had to get his arm amputated before he could be rescued.
“His arm was amputated while he was still trapped because we could not remove it from under the rubble, because it could destabilise the area and could cause a secondary collapse,” said Emergency Services Nana Radebe.
Radebe said the man was pinned to the ground by a beam on his hand.
“The rescue team had to remove metal, beams, and concrete to help him,” she said.
He was taken to hospital in a stable but critical condition.
Five of the suspected metal thieves were taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
Rescue teams carried on searching until the early hours of this morning.
Efforts to recover any more bodies that may still be in the collapsed building will carry on.
