CAPE TOWN, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Rescue and recovery operations continued into the second week following a building collapse in South Africa, with the death toll climbing to 33 as of Tuesday.
The multi-story building under construction collapsed last Monday afternoon in the coastal city of George, located about 400 kilometers east of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province. The reasons for the collapse are still under investigation.
Of the 81 construction workers who were on site, 62 have been rescued or recovered, while 19 are still unaccounted for, according to the latest update issued by local authorities at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
A total of 27 males and six females have been declared deceased in the aftermath of the building collapse. Authorities are facing challenges in identifying the victims and have appealed to the public for assistance, as only six of them have been identified so far.
"We are experiencing difficulties in obtaining accurate names of individuals missing or deceased due to the building collapse. We urgently request families who have lost contact with their loved ones to come to the George Civic Centre on York Street," the municipal government of George said in a statement.
"This will enable the Department of Social Development to collect detailed and precise information, ensuring that all records are accurately documented," said the municipality.
According to the authorities, their 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," the municipality added. ■
