Staff Reporter
Search-and-rescue teams continued operations into Saturday after a multi-storey structure under construction collapsed at a Hindu temple site in Redcliffe, near Verulam, north of Durban, leaving at least one person dead and others trapped.
Emergency responders worked to reach people believed to be under heavy concrete slabs, while a number of injured workers were treated at the scene and transported to hospital, according to rescue services.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) spokesperson Prem Balram said some survivors had been able to communicate from beneath the rubble, including via voice notes. He said the collapse happened during a ready-mix concrete pouring operation.
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba visited the scene on Friday night. He said the city would implement “consequence management” if an investigation found any laws were flouted.
The cause of the collapse has not been officially determined and remains under investigation, with additional resources mobilised to support extrication and medical response.
The municipality, however, said on Friday that preliminary information indicated no building plans had been approved for the structure, which would render it illegal.
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