By Anita Dangazele
Seven days into the rescue and recovery efforts following the George building collapse, the number of fatalities rose to 26 by Monday, with 28 people still unaccounted for.
The upmarket apartment building that was being built on Victoria Street in the coastal town of George collapsed shortly after 2pm on Monday with 81 employees on site.
According to the George municipality 49 people have been rescued and recovered, with 14 currently in hospital, 20 others have been confirmed dead while 32 others remain missing.
On Sunday morning Fire, Rescue and Disaster Services’ Neels Barnard said they recovered the body of a woman at 10:55.
Three more bodies have since been recovered, taking the total number of those killed in the disaster to 19.
Police minister Bheki Cele visited the families of the survivors to check up on their wellbeing and express his continued support on Sunday.
Cele promised police would thoroughly investigate the cause of the tragedy and bring closure to the families of the victims.
“Our job is to investigate matters and come up with the answers or the answers that we believe are relevant. Even if you don’t find your loved ones still alive but to know what happened, that will be the job of the government,” said Cele.
The George municipality has also made a clarion call to professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona languages to assist survivors and their families.
The municipality has also asked the country to hold a minute silence for the tragedy as it reaches a week since the collapse.
Pictured above: The scene of the building that collapsed on Monday in Victoria Street, George, Western Cape.
Image source: George Municipality
