CAPE TOWN, South Africa: A multi-storey building under construction in the South African coastal city of George collapsed on Monday, killing at least one man and trapping 47 workers in the rubble, police said.
A 70-person construction crew was on site at the time of the collapse, city spokeswoman Chantel Edwards said. Twenty-two patients have been picked up and sent to hospitals across the province, she added.
The five-story building, including the underground parking lot, collapsed in the early afternoon for reasons not yet determined.
Photos shared by the municipality showed a leveled construction site with the presence of several emergency services.
The shattered roof of the building was still clearly visible on the pile of rubble as high-powered lights illuminated the site.
Rescue work continued into the evening at the site, which was cordoned off.
A rescue coordination post has been set up in George, 400 kilometers east of Cape Town, with multiple emergency services and about 80 staff.
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More diggers and sniffer dogs were dispatched from Cape Town, emergency services said.
Officials said relatives of those imprisoned have been asked to gather at City Hall, which is close to the site, and will be taken care of.
George, which has a population of about 160,000, lies on the tourist trail along the country’s southern coast.
City Hall is run by the Democratic Alliance (DA), the leading opposition party that also controls the Western Cape province.
