George building collapse death toll now at 12 with 40 still unaccounted for

The death toll from the collapse of the multistorey building under construction in George has increased to 12 after three more bodies were recovered on Friday.

May 10, 2024 at 3:25 pm

Heavy equipment was used to break up the concrete in the search for survivors at the site of the collapsed building in George. (Werner Hills)

The death toll from the collapse of the multistorey building under construction in George has increased to 12 after three more bodies were recovered on Friday.

The George municipality said the latest recoveries bring to 40 the number of workers retrieved. There were 81 workers on site at the time of the collapse on Monday and 41 are still unaccounted for.

Of the 33 who were hospitalised, 13 are still in hospital.

The municipality also announced the Airports Company South Africa declared the disaster site at Victoria Street a no-fly zone.

“This restriction will be strictly enforced and any individuals found violating it will be subject to criminal prosecution,” the municipality said.

TimesLIVE

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