Police minister Bheki Cele has asked for space for affected families as investigations into the collapse of a building in George continue.
Cele was speaking to the families at the George Town Hall on Sunday while search and rescue operations continue.
By 3pm on Sunday, the death toll had climbed to 19.
Cele said: "The main focus is to get people out of the rubble. Allow us to go ahead with the investigations.
"Any kind of preempting what might have happened would be wrong. Maybe other people can talk about that but that is something law enforcement cannot do." .
#sapsHQ [AT THIS HOUR] The Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele accompanied by General Fannie Masemola and Deputy National Commissioner for Policing and Special Operations, Lt General Tebello Mosikili are engaging with the #SearchAndRescue team including #SAPS technicians,… pic.twitter.com/eJFtEa8zyO
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) May 12, 2024
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The George municipality said: "Seven days into the rescue and recovery 48 people have been rescued and recovered, with 19 dead, 14 hospitalised and 33 unaccounted for.
"The joint district operations centre adheres to a stringent double verification protocol to ensure the accuracy of the reported numbers. This is done in close collaboration with recovery teams, hospitals and forensic services."
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