MEDIA STATEMENT: 21:00 Update on Building Collapse Site in George, Western Cape – South Africa, 15 May 2024 at 21:00
Issued by the Garden Route District JOC/George Municipality, 15 May 2024 at 21:00
Rescue and recovery efforts are continuing into day nine (9) following the incident at 75 Victoria Street. Rescue workers and other role-players have been on site of the collapsed building for 223 hours.
The confirmed statistics for the incident are:
* Total estimated individuals on-site when the incident occurred: 81
* Rescued and recovered: 62
* Of which deceased: 33 (27 males, 6 females)
* Currently hospitalised: 12
* Unaccounted for: 19
FAMILIES LINKED TO SURVIVORS AND DECEASED
Up to now, 47 victims have been linked to their families.
STRICT VERIFICATION IN PLACE
The Garden Route District Joint Operations Centre’s adherence to a stringent double verification protocol is crucial for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of reported numbers of the deceased, which is essential in emergency and disaster response scenarios. This verification process involves cross-referencing information from multiple reliable sources, such as recovery teams, hospitals, and forensic services.
DONATIONS TO FAMILIES
Today, several organisations, such as the Gift of the Givers, Makro, Lions Club, and Food Socks (feature image) and the Ghanian Community Association in George, provided food hampers and other items to families who are related to the workers who were present at the Victoria Street building collapse in George. The Multi-Agency Command Centre expresses its heartfelt gratitude and thank you to all these organisations for their generous acts of kindness.
DONATIONS FOR EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AT THE GEORGE BUILDING COLLAPSE SITE
The George Municipality would like to provide details of how the public can support the multi-disciplinary emergency personnel with donations of drinking water, energy drinks, wine gums, or food for emergency services while they are on-site.
Donations may be delivered to AFM (AGS) Soteria Church at 27 Victoria Street in George or contact the Gift of the Givers: Mario Ferreira (082 490 2752) and Herman Pienaar (082 829 6428) in this regard.
MINISTERIAL AND OTHER VISITS
The President of the Republic of South Africa, Hon. Cyril Ramaphosa, will be visiting the disaster site in George, accompanied by a delegation of National Ministers, on Thursday, 16 May 2024 (tomorrow).
POST-INCIDENT SUPPORT
The Western Cape Department of Social Development has indicated that a comprehensive range of services will continue to be made available to the affected families for a minimum of 6-months.
The next update will be issued at 6:00am tomorrow morning, 16 May 2024.
Photograph: Garden Route District Municipality
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