Death toll from George building collapse rises to 15
Rescue and recovery efforts are continuing into a sixth day at the site as 37 people are still unaccounted for.
Rescuers work through the night to reach workers trapped uder the rubble of a collapsed building in George, in the Western Cape on 12 May 2024. Picture: George Municipality/Facebook
GEORGE - The death toll in the George building collapse has risen to 15, after a day mixed with hope and more sadness.
Rescue and recovery efforts are continuing into a sixth day at the site.
Thirty-seven people are still unaccounted for.
At least 81 artisans were on the premises of the unfinished block of flats when it toppled on Monday.
Police Minister Bheki Cele is expected to visit the site on Sunday.
Rescuers have clocked over 135 hours of painstaking searching.
The turning point in this mission on Saturday was freeing a miracle survivor.
Garden Route disaster management chief, Gerhard, Otto said that the teams were still holding onto hope of more live rescues.
"You know, you lose hope because there hasn't been a sign of life for 48 hours and more. Then you feel am I doing the right thing, poking around in the rubble? I’m glad to say we stuck through it and it worked."
But only 12 hours later, the mood turned somber as another body was recovered from the ruins.
Until all the trapped workers have been brought to the surface, the site remains an active crime scene.