George tragedy update: Three more bodies recovered today
Three more bodies have been recovered from the site where the building collapsed. Here is the latest from the scene.
The George municipality confirmed that rescuers recovered three more bodies from the site of the collapsed building.
THE OPERATION IS STILL A RESCUE MISSION ON FRIDAY
According to Debra Sauer, Communications Officer of the George Municipality, this brings the death toll to 12 on Friday.
41 workers are still unaccounted for.
Rescuers have retrieved 40 workers. Of these, 28 workers were rescued alive and 13 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.”
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 96 HOURS SINCE THE SEARCH BEGUN
The operation remains a rescue mission, 96 hours since 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.
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 as 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.