• Emergency workers manually removed concrete blocks and debris, with some moments of silence being false alarms.
• Three additional deaths were reported, with two individuals succumbing to injuries.
• Authorities cordoned off the site from the public, but many people remain in shock and disbelief.

Rescuers in South Africa reported hearing from 11 additional survivors in the debris of an apartment building that collapsed in the coastal city of George on Monday. The collapse of the under-construction five-storey building, for reasons yet to be determined, has resulted in at least five confirmed deaths and left more than 50 people missing.

“We are in contact with 11 people, four of them are trapped in a basement,” Colin Deiner, chief director for disaster management, said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse. Nearby video footage captured a massive cloud of dust as the building fell.

At the scene on Tuesday morning, emergency workers took turns working the small site, manually removing concrete blocks and debris.

Periodically, the team leader raised his fist, signaling for silence. Everyone halted their work, eagerly scanning the scene in anticipation of finding someone. Some of these moments turned out to be false alarms, and the noise resumed.

The majority of the workers who had been on the construction site are still unaccounted for, and bringing out survivors has been a long and slow process.

“They will then begin a process of lifting the different floors off each other” and “There is a possibility people could still be alive.” Mr Deiner said.

Medics later reported three additional deaths, following the demise of two individuals who were pulled from the wreckage and succumbed to their injuries.

Authorities have cordoned off the site from the public. However, many people still stood around the perimeter in shock and disbelief.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed that his thoughts were with the families of the individuals who died in the incident. He also called for the investigation to “bring closure to the community and prevent a repeat of this disaster.”

The city’s mayor, Ald Van Wyk, extended his condolences to the families “and all those affected who continue to wait for word of their loved ones.”

Throughout the night, more than 100 rescuers with sniffer dogs labored to locate those trapped in the building. Heavy lifting equipment aided the operation.

Also Read

South Africa: Tragic bus crash killed 45 people, 8-year-old boy only survivor left

A bus carrying worshippers to an Easter festival in South Africa crashed...