George building collapse: Families anxiously waiting for information on missing relatives
'We don’t know whether they’re under the rubble, in the hospital or the morgue. We don’t know,' an anxious family member told Eyewitness News.
Aerial view of George building collapse site. Image: George Municipality On Facebook
GEORGE - Families waiting for news on their loved ones trapped in the ruins of a building collapse in George say they feel like they're being left in the dark.
Even after the 72-hour rescue window lapsed on the site on Thursday, rescue teams are still hopeful to make a successful find.
At least 81 construction workers were on the site when the structure crashed.
Nine people have died while 44 employees are still buried under the rubble.
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Families who have been camping out at the George municipal hall have been visited by political heads, chaplains, trauma counsellors and humanitarian aid workers.
But more than 85 hours into the operation, they say very little brings them solace.
Ramsey Nkwatipira said this has been the longest four days of his life.
“It doesn’t matter what you give up, food, blankets, what… we can’t eat if we’re in pain.”
All he wants to know is the whereabouts of his loved ones.
“We don’t know whether they’re under the rubble, in the hospital or the morgue. We don’t know.”
Officials said with many family members near the building site, information about their operation is controlled to avoid errors and further pain.