In the South African city of George, a multistory building under construction collapsed, according to the authorities.
The municipality of George, a coastal city east of Cape Town, stated in a statement that twenty-two persons had been rescued from the scene and taken to hospitals.
Premier Alan Winde of the Western Cape reported that out of the 53 people still under the rubble, four had passed away.
“Seventy-five members of the construction crew have been confirmed on-site at the time of the incident,” he stated.
A cloud of dust was visible in CCTV footage that Reuters was able to obtain as the building collapsed on Monday afternoon.
“I’m also traumatized because I watched one guy working and then, all of a sudden, the structure collapsed. Theresa Jeyi, a local councilor, told reporters at the scene, “It is very sad.”
The police and rescue teams with sniffer dogs were on the scene, according to the province government.
While rescue equipment was being delivered, George Mayor Leon van Wyk told SABC that rescue personnel on the scene were attempting to remember where they had heard cries from people.
“This is going to be a really lengthy exercise and probably going to go right through the night,” he remarked.
