Building collapses in South Africa; 5 workers dead

Rescue teams searched through the night for dozens of construction workers who were buried under concrete rubble for more than 12 hours after a multi-story apartment complex under construction collapsed in a coastal town in South Africa. Authorities announced early Tuesday that one fatality had risen to five, while 49 workers remained buried in the shattered rubble of the building, which collapsed on Monday afternoon. Authorities said another 21 workers were rescued from the rubble and taken to various hospitals, with at least 11 of them suffering serious injuries. The collapse occurred in the town of George, about 250 miles east of Cape Town on South Africa’s southern coast. More than 100 emergency responders and other responders were at the scene, using sniffer dogs to try to locate workers, some of whom were trapped under huge concrete slabs that fell on them as the five-story building collapsed. Large cranes and other heavy lifting equipment were brought to the site to assist in rescue efforts, and high searchlights were erected to allow search and rescue personnel to work throughout the night. Rescuers made contact with 11 workers trapped in the rubble and hoped to get them out, said Colin Deiner, the chief director of the Western Cape Provincial Civil Protection and Fire and Rescue Service. He said some of them had spoken to rescuers but were unable to move because their limbs were trapped under concrete. “It’s a very difficult operation,” said Deiner, who was at the scene. “There is a lot of concrete… so we expect it will take quite a while. The search process will last all day. We have a lot of people on site, but it’s really, really hard work.” “To have so many people trapped in a building like that is like looking for a needle in a haystack. You literally have to break through and cut through the concrete.” “There were 75 workers on the site when the building collapsed, George Township said. Three rescue teams worked at various locations around the collapsed building, where they said construction workers were likely to be. Friends of the workers gathered at nearby community offices. “Our thoughts are with the families and everyone affected as they continue to wait for word from their loved ones,” said George Mayor Leon Van Wyk. Authorities were investigating what caused the tragedy. A case was opened by police, but there was no immediate information about why the building suddenly collapsed. CCTV footage from a nearby house showed that the concrete structure and metal framework around the building collapsed at 2:09 p.m. on Monday afternoon, causing a cloud of dust. After the collapse, people streamed out of other buildings, some of them screaming and shouting. Marco Ferreira, a local representative of the non-governmental organization Gift of the Givers, was on site with a team to offer support and food and drink to rescuers on Monday. Gift of the Givers is a charity that frequently assists with disasters in South Africa. Three sniffer dogs and handlers were also made available to help with the search, Ferreira said. “At the moment the situation is still largely in the rescue phase,” Ferreira told the news channel eNCA TV. “We don’t know, it will probably go on for days. There are some cranes that help lift concrete. But it’s not a pretty sight.” The Western Cape provincial government sent Deiner, the head of its disaster response unit, from Cape Town to George to oversee the rescue operation, and Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, the head of the provincial government, was also there, Winde said , the provincial government has also sent additional resources to assist. “Emergency personnel have been offered all necessary support to expedite their response.” For now, officials are focused on saving lives. “This is our top priority at this stage,” Winde said in a statement. The national government will be informed of the rescue operation, Winde said.___Associated Press writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.