CAPE TOWN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday assured the families affected by the recent building collapse that the government will spare no effort in providing assistance.
The multi-story building under construction collapsed last week on Monday afternoon in the coastal city of George, located about 400 kilometers east of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province.
According to the latest update issued by the George Municipality on Thursday afternoon, the incident has so far resulted in the deaths of 33 individuals, including 27 males and six females. Out of the 81 workers who were on site, 62 have been rescued or recovered, with 12 hospitalized and 19 still unaccounted for.
Visiting the George disaster site on Thursday, Ramaphosa described the incident as a "catastrophe," offered his condolences to the bereaved families, and wished those who are in hospital a speedy recovery.
"We are currently focusing on saving lives, caring for the injured, making sure that the remains of those who have lost their lives are well put together so that those who need to be repatriated can be repatriated, and those who need to be buried here can also be buried," Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, he noted, "there will be assistance for those who are in hospital to be well treated, there will be assistance for those who have to be buried, and yes, there will also be compensation ... I want you to rest assured that we are going to do everything we can to make the situation a lot better and easier."
During the site visit, the president stressed that the truth about the incident would emerge during the ongoing investigation into it.
"Investigations are underway, and they are going to cover every aspect that has given rise to this disaster. We will make sure that we leave no stone unturned. Where there has to be accountability, it will be there," said Ramaphosa.
"It will take some time for all aspects of this disaster to be properly tied together ... I can assure you that the seriousness with which this matter is being dealt with will lead to the truth coming out," he added. ■
