MEDIA STATEMENT: 6 pm, Status Update – Building Collapse, Victoria Street – George, 8 May 2024, @19:00 pm

Issued George Municipality, 8 May 2024, @19:00 pm

George Municipality confirms that figures remain unchanged at this point, 6:00 pm 8 May. As the rescue effort is ongoing overnight, the emergency response team will now implement more substantive concrete breakers and additional trucks to remove building rubble from the site to free remaining entrapped patients.

36 patients retrieved.
7 are blue (Deceased).
16 are red patients (Critical).
6 are yellow patients (Life-threatening injuries).
7 are green (minor injuries).
A total of 39 of the initial 75 workers on site remain unaccounted for at present.

The rescue operation is approaching 53 hours as of 18:45 this evening, 8 May.

An update will be issued by 9 pm on Wednesday 8 May 2024, – South African Time.

On-site Triage Description:
Blue: Deceased
Red: Critical
Yellow: Life-threatening injuries
Green: Minor injuries

Photos by: Herman Pieters, Garden Route District Municipality