MEDIA STATEMENT: 12pm Update on Building Collapse Site

Issued by the Garden Route District JOC/George Municipality, 12 May 2024, 12pm

As we enter day 7 of the rescue and recovery efforts at the site of the collapsed building at 75 Victoria Street, operations are still continuing with new vigor after the successful rescue of Mr Guambe yesterday. As of 12pm on May 12, 2024, marking the 141th hour of operations, the confirmed statistics are as follows:

– Total individuals on-site during the incident: 81
– Rescued and recovered: 46
– Of which deceased: 17
– Currently hospitalized: 14
– Unaccounted for: 35

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.

The National Minister of Police, Mr Bheki Cele, is currently visiting the site and will be briefing the media shortly.

We urgently call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona languages to assist survivors and their families. Interested practitioners can contact Kholiswa Jobela at 078 210 5972 or Apolus Swart at 061 504 4205.

An update will be issued by 3pm on Sunday, 12 May 2024.