By Joe Udo
DURBAN (LOL, CONVERSEER) – Two people have been confirmed dead while more are still trapped under concrete and rubble after a four-storey building under construction collapsed at the River Range Ranch temple in Verulam, Redcliffe, North of Durban, South Africa.
The building collapsed on Friday and according to IPSS medical rescue, five people were rescued with minor to no injuries.
IPSS added that an unconfirmed number of people are still alive and rescue missions are underway to get them to safety.
“The contractor is not on site, so it is difficult to confirm numbers at this stage and they may change,” said IPSS.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said a drone Pilot conducted aerial surveillance of the collapsed building to assist rescue technicians in assessing the extent of the collapse and heavy lifting equipment is on standby to assist in the operation.
Meanwhile, eThekwini Municipality said preliminary reports confirm that no building plans were approved for the structure, making it illegal.
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“The municipality will formally hand the matter over to the Department of Employment and Labour and will continue to cooperate fully with all relevant authorities to provide information that may assist the investigation.
“At this stage, the cause of the collapse remains undetermined and is under investigation. Additional resources are being mobilised to strengthen extrication efforts and provide medical support to those affected,” said the municipality in a statement.
