85% of George building collapse site cleared of rubble: Disaster Management MEC

GEORGE - Eighty-five percent of the fatal construction disaster site in George has now been cleared.

Authorities estimate that 81 people were working on the partially completed apartment block when it collapsed last Monday.

ALSO READ:

- George building collapse: Demolition crews aiming to complete work by Friday

- Independent probe into George building collapse will take at least a year

- Forensic teams to expedite identification of bodies recovered from George building collapse

Search and rescue operations have been continuing, while demolitions have been under way in the hope of finding those still unaccounted for.

Thirty-three construction workers died in the crash.

Rescuers are down to their last two slabs sandwiched together. This is the last area still to be searched.

Authorities said it’s not likely 19 people are still wedged underground.

“We’re still looking for 19 people. The site is 85% cleared of the rubble,” said the MEC responsible for Disaster Management, Anton Bredell.

“We really hope we’re not correct with the number of 81 people and that there’s less people in the site, but we’ll keep looking.”

It’s been dubbed the biggest disaster to strike the built environment sector.

Among the dead are workers who will be repatriated to countries including Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected on site on Thursday to meet with grieving families and survivors of the disaster.