MEDIA STATEMENT: 6am Update on Building Collapse Site

Issued by the Garden Route District JOC/George Municipality, 12 May 2024, 06:00

Rescue and recovery efforts continue into the sixth day at the site of the collapsed building at 75 Victoria Street. This morning at 02:30 another body was recovered, bringing the total number of deceased to 15. As of 06:00 on May 12, 2024, marking the 135th hour of operations, the confirmed statistics are as follows:

– Total individuals on-site during the incident: 81
– Rescued and recovered: 44
– of which 15 deceased
– Currently hospitalized: 14
– Unaccounted for: 37

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 scheduled to visit the site later this morning for an official briefing.

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 9 AM on Sunday, 12 May 2024.