Breaking News Update
GEORGE NEWS - The death toll in the Victoria Street building disaster has risen to 34 after one of the victims died in hospital over the weekend.
Gerhard Otto, head of disaster management at the Garden Route District Municipality, this morning confirmed the death. Nine people are still in hospital.
In a statement on Friday 17 May, authorities officially confirmed that only 62 individuals were on site when the building collapsed.
They attributed the difference between the approximate of people on site and the official number confirmed to the following:
- A) Some of the names on the contractor's list were duplicated.
- B) Official investigations by Saps confirmed that some of those on the contractor's list were not at work on the day of the incident.
- C) CCTV clearly shows that some of those on site left before the first responders reached the scene and to date they have not reported their whereabouts.
The site was officially handed over to Saps on Friday and has since been cordoned off with a green shade net. Victoria Street has also been reopened for traffic.
Once Saps is done, they will hand over the site to the Department of Labour for their investigation.
Previous Articles:
- Update: 47 victims linked to their families
- President Cyril Ramaphosa coming to George tomorrow
- Update: Death toll remains 33 while 19 still missing
- Update: One family finds closure
- Building collapse: 19 (out of 81) still missing
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