Tragedy struck in South Africa as a building collapse claimed the lives of at least five individuals, leaving around 50 others trapped beneath the debris.
Rescue efforts have been ongoing in George, a coastal city in the Western Cape province, where a five-storey building under construction crumbled unexpectedly on Monday afternoon.
By Tuesday morning, 26 workers had been rescued, with five unfortunately losing their lives and the rest rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Despite the progress, 49 individuals are still missing, although rescuers have managed to establish contact with 11 of them, four of whom are stuck in a basement.
Colin Deiner, chief director for disaster management, emphasized the challenging nature of the operation, likening it to finding a needle in a haystack due to the need to break through concrete and cut through reinforcing materials.
The priority remains the safe extraction of all those trapped, a process that could extend throughout the day as rescuers work tirelessly to access different floors.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the collapse, with security camera footage capturing the harrowing moment when the structure crumbled on Monday afternoon.
President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the affected families and urged swift action in rescuing any remaining survivors.
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