JOHANNSESBURG, South Africa: Rescuers and bystanders erupted into cheers and applause as a survivor was pulled from the debris of a collapsed building in South Africa after being trapped for 116 hours. The tragic incident, which claimed the lives of at least 13 people, brought a glimmer of hope amidst the devastation.
Provincial premier Alan Winde expressed astonishment and relief, describing the rescue as a long-awaited miracle. The collapsed apartment block, located in the southern city of George, collapsed on Monday afternoon while 81 workers were on-site.
Colin Deiner, head of rescue operations, recounted the tense moments leading up to the survivor’s discovery. Rescuers halted heavy operations upon hearing sounds from beneath the rubble. After establishing contact with the trapped individual, efforts intensified to extricate him safely.
The survivor, who had been pinned under debris for an extensive period, was carefully freed and immediately transported to a hospital for urgent medical attention. Rescue teams, working tirelessly since the building’s collapse, faced the daunting task of navigating unstable conditions to locate and rescue any remaining survivors.
While 29 individuals have been successfully rescued, 39 others are still unaccounted for, underscoring the ongoing urgency of the operation. Winde acknowledged the challenges posed by the identification process, highlighting the meticulous methods being employed by law enforcement, including fingerprinting, DNA testing, and photographic analysis.
The collapsed building, intended to house a 42-unit apartment block, had received approval for construction from the city in July. Despite investigations into the cause of the collapse, the exact reasons remain unknown, leaving authorities and communities grappling with the aftermath of the tragedy.
