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Body of third child found in Cape Town sand bank collapse — but search now on for fourth

The search for a fourth body was continuing on Monday night, with the fire and rescue services and the K9 unit active at the scene.
The search for a fourth body was continuing on Monday night, with the fire and rescue services and the K9 unit active at the scene.
Image: Gareth Wilson

The body of a third child, who went missing when a sand bank collapsed in Nyanga, Cape Town, on Monday has been found. But emergency services are now searching for a fourth person.

The three bodies were recovered from the collapsed sand alongside the N2 at the Borcherds Quarry Road intersection in Nyanga, Cape Town.

Emergency services rushed to the scene to try to rescue the children. The N2 was closed as rescue teams conducted their search.

Cape Town fire and rescue services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said that the bodies of the first two children were retrieved shortly after 6pm, about three hours after the incident occurred at 3.10pm.

The body of the third child was recorded around 9pm.

“Search operations are still continuing as there are reports of a fourth person being unaccounted for,” said Carelse.

Fire and rescue services and the K9 unit active at the scene.

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It is believed that the children were trapped underground after sand they were playing in collapsed on them.

Carelse said an emergency call was received at 3.10.

“Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain fire crews were dispatched to the scene. Technical rescue teams from Roeland Street and Metro EMS were dispatched,” said Carelse.

SAPS spokesperson Capt FC van Wyk said that an inquest docket has been opened.

“Our crime scene experts, local police, law-enforcement agencies and emergency services are still on the scene at Borchards Quarry to retrieve the bodies of children who allegedly played on the sand dunes which caved in on them,” he said.

TimesLIVE


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