George collapse: Worker found ALIVE now
In the latest news from the George collapse site, a worker was found ALIVE on Saturday. Here is the latest from the scene.
In some miraculous news, rescuers found a worker alive on Saturday at the site where a building collapsed.
Rescuers found a tiler under the rubble on Saturday
According to Debra Sauer, Communications Officer of the George Municipality, rescue teams have found an individual alive.
This comes as the rescue operation has spanned 118 hours.
Rescuers believe they stabilized the worker on the scene before transporting him to a nearby hospital.
39 workers are still unaccounted for.
Rescuers have retrieved 42 workers. Of these, 29 workers were rescued alive, and 14 remain in the hospital.
“Disaster management also advises that there are currently enough volunteers on-site, with names captured on a waiting list. We commend and appreciate the overwhelming volunteer and donation response from the George community.”
Sauer asked the public not to respond to any requests for volunteers on social media unless the GRDM JOC and George Municipality formally issue such notice.
AUTHORITIES HAVE DECLARED THE INCIDENT SITE A NO-FLY ZONE
Meanwhile, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has declared the incident site at Victoria Street a No-Fly Zone.
“We will strictly enforce this restriction, and we will subject any individuals found violating it to criminal prosecution.”
Meanwhile, it said in their ongoing efforts to support survivors and families, they issue a call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona languages. Practitioners can reach out to Kholiswa Jobela at 078 210 5972 or Apolus Swart at 061 504 4205.
According to a report by Eyewitness News, while anxious family members wait to hear news on relatives still trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building in George, the greater community has joined them as they hold vigils for their loved ones.
Rescuers are continuing their work at the site of a toppled apartment complex.
IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 111 HOURS SINCE THE SEARCH BEGUN
The operation remains a rescue mission 111 hours after the search began.
Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi on Thursday visited the families of the workers missing after a building collapsed in George and said the Department of Employment and Labour would launch an investigation into the disaster.
According to a report by Daily Maverick, there have been claims that many of those hired to work at the site were undocumented foreign nationals.
However, at a press briefing on Thursday, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, the deputy commissioner of the South African Police Service, said they could not yet confirm this.
“The investigation is under way. We cannot at this stage confirm that there are undocumented people amongst those that were trapped, amongst those that were rescued.”
Mosikili said.
They found the missing consulting engineer
According to a report by Daily Maverick, they reported the consulting engineer who signed off plans for the collapsed George building was missing.
An alert on the Pink Ladies Facebook page found Athol Mitchell, the individual who signed the plans for the 75 Victoria building disaster project.
