Johnathan Paoli
NATIONAL deputy minister of international relations and cooperation Alvin Botes, and national minister for public works and infrastructure Sihle Zikalala, are expected to visit the site of the George building collapse later on Monday.
The metro has confirmed that the number of bodies recovered from the rubble has risen to 32. To date 20 of the 81 construction workers who were reported on site when the five-storey structure collapsed, are still unaccounted for.
Thirteen of the rescued workers have been taken to medical facilities for injuries, with search and rescue operations continuing. A man was pulled alive from the rubble on the weekend after spending 116 hours trapped underneath.
In a video shared by the municipality Gabriel Guambe told everyone that he is okay and in good spirits.
Meanwhile Western Cape Premier Alan Winde called on the local authorities to determine the cause of the collapse and give this the highest priority.
The metro highlighted the continuing need for professional psycho-social support practitioners to assist the survivors and their families through this traumatic time.
The five-storey building collapsed with construction workers on site last Monday. To date search and rescue operations still continue.
Now politicians and government officials are weighing in on the matter. Minister of police Bheki Cele visited the site on Sunday and has said that rescuing the survivors remained more important than pointing fingers.
“We usually give the public information that has been found by the investigation. We do not predict what we think. From the investigation that the police have started, nobody knows the exact number from the go until now. For us to know exactly this, we must get the identification documents,” he said.
He said in light of the high number of allegedly undocumented foreign nationals, the authorities were unable to confirm details until all the individuals at the site could be accounted for and properly identified.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) also expressed its condolences and solidarity with the victims and said that those responsible for this unacceptable loss of life should be found and held accountable.
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