A survivor retrieved from the rubble at the site of the building collapse in George spoke out about his ordeal from his hospital bed.
He endured 118 hours trapped without food or water
Gabriel Guambe, 32 years old, endured 118 hours trapped under the rubble without food or water.
GUAMBE ESCAPED WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES
He also deeply expresses his gratitude to all the rescue personnel for their unwavering and tireless efforts.
According to Debra Sauer, Communications Officer of the George Municipality, Guambe also shares an inspiring message. They shared the message with the teams on site, encouraging them to continue their dedication and hard work during the challenging task of searching for those still unaccounted for.
HIS RETRIEVAL HAS GIVEN THE RESCUE TEAMS RENEWED HOPE
He is recovering well in the hospital, remarkably sustaining only minor injuries.
Guambe also had his first meal in the hospital and is in good spirits.
The rescue teams have now been busy on the site for more than 118 hours.
39 workers are still unaccounted for.
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Rescuers have retrieved 42 workers. Of these, 29 workers were rescued alive, and 14 remain in the hospital.
“Disaster management also advises that there are currently enough volunteers on-site, with names captured on a waiting list. We commend and appreciate the overwhelming volunteer and donation response from the George community.”
Sauer asked the public not to respond to any requests for volunteers on social media unless the GRDM JOC and George Municipality formally issue such notice.
AUTHORITIES HAVE DECLARED THE INCIDENT SITE A NO-FLY ZONE
Meanwhile, the Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has declared the incident site at Victoria Street a No-Fly Zone.
“We will strictly enforce this restriction, and we will subject any individuals found violating it to criminal prosecution.”
Meanwhile, it said in their ongoing efforts to support survivors and families, they issue a call for professional psychosocial support practitioners proficient in Chewa, Portuguese, and Shona languages. Practitioners can reach out to Kholiswa Jobela at 078 210 5972 or Apolus Swart at 061 504 4205.
According to a report by Eyewitness News, while anxious family members wait to hear news on relatives still trapped under the rubble of a collapsed building in George, the greater community has joined them as they hold vigils for their loved ones.
Rescuers are continuing their work at the site of a toppled apartment complex.
Families and friends hold vigils for the missing loved ones near the site
Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi on Thursday visited the families of the workers missing after a building collapsed in George and said the Department of Employment and Labour would launch an investigation into the disaster.
According to a report by Daily Maverick, there have been claims that many of those hired to work at the site were undocumented foreign nationals.
However, at a press briefing on Thursday, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, the deputy commissioner of the South African Police Service, said they could not yet confirm this.
“The investigation is under way. We cannot at this stage confirm that there are undocumented people amongst those that were trapped, amongst those that were rescued.”
Mosikili said.
They found the missing consulting engineer
According to a report by Daily Maverick, they reported the consulting engineer who signed off plans for the collapsed George building was missing.
An alert on the Pink Ladies Facebook page found Athol Mitchell, the individual who signed the plans for the 75 Victoria building disaster project.
