Cape Town — The George Municipality have provided an update on the number of casualties who have died in the George building collapse, with the number now rising to 13.
The latest statement from the municipality confirmed that rescue operations are still underway and that, as of 12pm on Saturday 11 May, the operation has spanned 118 hours.
“The multi-agency command persists in employing a systematic rescue and recovery approach, meticulously clearing rubble to uncover potential voids (open spaces) where individuals may be trapped.” the municipality said.
81 people were on-site at the time of the incident, with 41 patients rescued, 13 deceased, 13 hospitalised and a further 40 still unaccounted for.
It’s day six of the search and rescue mission at the site of the #GeorgeBuildingCollapse. Rescuers have been working through the nights to excavate rubble and try to locate at least 40 people who are still unaccounted for. @Karinda_J has more.
Watch: https://t.co/B5aKpk68YM pic.twitter.com/TDXtddEAkD
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) May 11, 2024
The municipality said it is still adhering to serious protocols in the rescue operations and sent a call for professional psycho-social support to practitioners fluent in Chewa, Portuguese and Shona.
“The Joint District Operations Center adheres to a rigorous double verification protocol in reporting rescue and recovery numbers, collaborating closely with recovery teams, hospitals, and forensic services.” it said.
“In our ongoing efforts to support survivors and families, we issue a call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona languages.” it added.
According to EWN, there have been changes in the heavy-duty guard, and that more morgue vans have also pulled up.
“We try to work faster with the bigger machines, but we must be very careful. We don’t want to be the cause of losing a patient, therefore there are spotters on the machines, cameras on site. It’s a long process,” Western Cape MEC for Disaster Management, Anton Bredell said.
More than 700 experts involved in the marathon rescue, are on rotation to ensure not only fresh legs but sharp decision-making in this meticulous rescue mission.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
