(MENAFN) Over the course of the night, rescue teams remained tirelessly committed to their search for dozens of construction workers trapped under the rubble of a collapsed multi-story apartment complex in a coastal city in South Africa. The devastating collapse occurred on Monday afternoon, leaving a rising death toll, now standing at five, while an alarming 49 workers still remained buried beneath the twisted wreckage. Despite the grim circumstances, authorities managed to rescue 21 individuals from the rubble, though many suffered severe injuries and required urgent medical attention.
The tragic event unfolded in George, situated approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Cape Town along South Africa's southern coast. Responding to the crisis, more than 100 emergency personnel, equipped with sniffer dogs, descended upon the scene to bolster the search and rescue efforts. Their task was made all the more daunting as some workers were trapped under massive slabs of concrete, rendering traditional rescue methods challenging.
To facilitate the rescue operation, heavy lifting equipment, including large cranes, was swiftly mobilized to the site. In a bid to illuminate the scene and facilitate around-the-clock efforts, powerful spotlights were erected, allowing search and rescue teams to continue their mission through the darkness of the night.
Despite the formidable obstacles they faced, rescuers managed to establish contact with 11 workers trapped within the rubble. Though some could communicate with their rescuers, their movements were severely restricted, with limbs pinned beneath the weight of concrete debris. Nevertheless, rescue teams remained optimistic about the possibility of successfully extricating these individuals from their perilous situation.
As dawn broke, the race against time continued, with rescue operations entering a critical phase. The hearts and hopes of the nation were with the brave responders as they persisted in their valiant efforts to save lives amidst the chaos and devastation.
"It's a very tough operation,” stated Deiner, who was at the site. "There's a lot of concrete ... so we think it will still take quite a while. The search operation will continue all day. We've got a lot of people on the scene but it's really, really hard work."
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