Western Cape disaster services chief director Colin Deiner said crews from Cape Town, Breede Valley, police and Search and Rescue South Africa were at the site. “We had a fairly big team that was able to arrive at various intervals during the night.”
They started with “a line and health search” where they walk through the area and try to hear people, “actually hearing people shouting through the rubble”.
“Then the dogs come in and do a verification. Once the dogs have verified there is somebody, we have hi-tech equipment [and] we can start triangulating and pinpointing where the victim is trapped.”
Deiner said it was difficult working with concrete so close to people.
“We are in contact with 11 people. We have one area where four people are in a basement and we have been communicating with them. This part will be a big operation. It will take most of the day to get them out.”
Winde said the province had assembled a team of doctors, specialised rescue technicians (15 from George and 17 from Cape Town), forensic pathology services and a special counselling unit to support and manage emergency responses. Six specialised rescue vehicles were also deployed.
Psychosocial support services have been arranged for the families and colleagues of the affected workers.
TimesLIVE
Engineers en route to George where EMS teams are focusing on 'signs of life' search for trapped workers
Image: George Municipality
With emergency services in contact with 11 construction workers trapped under the rubble of a collapsed apartment block in George at midday on Tuesday, a team has been assembled to investigate the cause of the disaster.
The probe will be handled by the department of labour, independent engineers and police.
Western Cape premier Alan Winde said a team of independent engineers would assist in the inquiry and were en route to the site where a multistorey block of flats under construction collapsed just after 2pm on Monday.
Local government and environmental affairs MEC Anton Bredell said: “It is a multifaceted independent investigation. SAPS will have their team, forensic people and the department of labour will be part of this. We will come out with a report from which we can learn and also determine the cause.”
The death toll has risen to six with 48 people unaccounted for. So far 27 people have been pulled out of the rubble and are receiving treatment.
Three rescue teams are on Tuesday working in different areas of the site with more than 110 personnel searching for survivors, supported by volunteers.
George building collapse update: Five people dead, 49 still trapped
Western Cape disaster services chief director Colin Deiner said crews from Cape Town, Breede Valley, police and Search and Rescue South Africa were at the site. “We had a fairly big team that was able to arrive at various intervals during the night.”
They started with “a line and health search” where they walk through the area and try to hear people, “actually hearing people shouting through the rubble”.
“Then the dogs come in and do a verification. Once the dogs have verified there is somebody, we have hi-tech equipment [and] we can start triangulating and pinpointing where the victim is trapped.”
Deiner said it was difficult working with concrete so close to people.
“We are in contact with 11 people. We have one area where four people are in a basement and we have been communicating with them. This part will be a big operation. It will take most of the day to get them out.”
Winde said the province had assembled a team of doctors, specialised rescue technicians (15 from George and 17 from Cape Town), forensic pathology services and a special counselling unit to support and manage emergency responses. Six specialised rescue vehicles were also deployed.
Psychosocial support services have been arranged for the families and colleagues of the affected workers.
TimesLIVE
46 people trapped under collapsed building in George
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