'There is still hope': Rescuers in race against time to find artisans trapped under collapsed George building

GEORGE - Rescue workers are in a time crunch to retrieve artisans stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building in George.

Thirty-nine people remain unaccounted for since tragedy struck on Monday afternoon.

Seven fatalities have been confirmed.

Parallel to the rescue mission, several forensic investigations are also underway to determine what caused the building to fold.

It's been more than 48 hours since the 42-unit apartment block fell with 75 people on site.

Rescue workers are still hopeful of finding people alive. 

Crews have stepped up the operation and have begun delayering - peeling concrete slabs off the rubble mound one piece at a time. 

Following hours without a hint of life, the reality of the time crunch is setting in, but the MEC responsible for disaster management, Anton Bredell, said it was too early to write off the mission.

"That call we will make in the morning to call it a recovery operation. There is still hope. We will keep searching."

With grey clouds hovering overhead, inclement weather is adding pressure to the operation.