South Africa rescuers contact survivors trapped in collapsed building

South Africa rescuers contact survivors trapped in collapsed building

The rescuers' priority is to get all those still trapped out, officials say.
Rescuers work to rescue construction workers trapped under a building that collapsed in George, South Africa. Photo / Reuters

Rescuers in South Africa said Tuesday they had made contact with 11 people trapped in the rubble of a building under construction that collapsed in the coastal city of George, killing five and leaving around 50 missing.

City authorities say a construction crew of 75 people was at the site when the five-storey building collapsed on Monday for still undetermined reasons.

"We are in contact with 11 people, four of them are trapped in a basement," Colin Deiner, chief director for disaster management, told a news conference.

The rescuers' priority is to get all those still trapped out which could take much of the day, he added.

They will then begin a process of lifting the different floors off each other, he said.

"There is a possibility people could still be alive," Deiner said.

The work is expected to continue until the weekend, he added.

Twenty-six people have been rescued from the debris, five of whom have died, municipal authorities have previously said, adding that 49 others were still unaccounted for.

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AFP