Cape Town, South Africa — A multi-story apartment building under construction collapsed Monday in a South African coastal town, killing two construction workers and leaving 53 trapped under the rubble, authorities said.
Another 20 workers were pulled from the wreckage of the building and were being treated for injuries at various hospitals, city officials said.
The building collapse happened shortly after 2pm in the town of George, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Cape Town on the south coast of South Africa.
Hours later, more than 100 emergency personnel were on the scene and would likely work through the night, using sniffer dogs to try to locate survivors, some of whom were buried under huge concrete slabs.
Cranes and other heavy lifting equipment were being sent to help with the rescue effort, George Municipality said, while more emergency crews were brought in from nearby towns and cities. They were expected to arrive at the location around midnight.
There were 75 workers at the construction site when it collapsed, and family and friends were gathered at nearby municipal offices waiting for news, the municipality said.
Authorities were investigating what caused the tragedy and a case was opened by police, but there was no immediate information on why the building suddenly collapsed.
Marco Ferreira, local representative of the non-governmental organization Gift of the Givers, was on site with a team to offer support and food and drink to rescuers. Gift of the Givers is a charity that often helps during disasters in South Africa. It also provided three sniffer dogs and handlers to help with searches, Ferreira said.
“The situation at this stage is still in the rescue phase,” Ferreira told news channel eNCA TV. “We don’t know, it will probably last days. There are some cranes there to help lift some concrete. But it’s not a pretty sight.”
Authorities did not immediately provide details about the injuries suffered by the workers who were taken to hospitals, but South African media reported that several of them suffered serious injuries. The two workers who died were pronounced dead after being admitted to hospitals, George County said.
“Our thoughts are with the families and all those affected who continue to wait for word from their loved ones,” said George Executive Mayor Leon Van Wyk.
The Western Cape provincial government said it was closely monitoring the situation and sent resources to help with the emergency response.
“All necessary support was provided to emergency personnel to expedite their response. Right now, authorities are focused on saving lives. This is our top priority at this stage,” Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, head of the provincial government, said in a statement.
The national government was being informed about the rescue operation, Winde said.
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Associated Press writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
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