International

South Africa Building Collapse: Dozens Missing

On Tuesday, rescue efforts continued in South Africa's coastal city of George, where a multi-story building under construction collapsed on Monday.

The incident resulted in at least five confirmed fatalities, with dozens of construction workers still missing and believed to be trapped under the debris, according to Reuters, citing a report from news.ro.

President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and called for a full investigation. "The investigation into the cause of this incident must aim to bring solace to the community and prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again," Ramaphosa's office stated in a press release.

Authorities in George, a city located east of Cape Town, confirmed that 26 construction workers who were present at the unfinished building site at the time of the collapse have been extricated from the rubble. Search operations are ongoing for the 49 workers who remain unaccounted for. "Three separate rescue teams are currently deployed in designated zones of the collapsed structure," a municipal statement reported.

A drone captured aerial footage of the scene, which showed rescue workers diligently clearing debris in an attempt to locate survivors.

"Our primary focus is on areas where we have received reports of possible survivors," said Colin Deiner, the head of disaster management for the Western Cape province.

Surveillance camera footage obtained by Reuters documented a massive dust cloud engulfing the area as the building crumbled on Monday afternoon.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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