20 Nov 2013

Workers trapped after fatal mall collapse

4:22 pm on 20 November 2013

At least one person was killed and up to 20 more trapped under rubble after a half-built shopping mall collapsed in South Africa.

Rescue teams were working into the night searching for survivors after the collapse of the mall near the city of Durban. They are using sniffer dogs to try to find victims buried under broken concrete slabs and twisted lengths of scaffolding. Most are believed to be construction workers.

A further 26 people, some in critical condition were rushed to hospital, an emergency service spokesman told Reuters.

Television footage showed police and rescue workers walking over large piles of rubble and twisted metal lying next to a railway track. Large parts of the structure had completely given way.

It was not yet clear what had caused the collapse of the three-storey building at Tongaat which residents said had been under construction for some time.

However, deputy mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala said local authorities had tried to halt construction at the site a month ago and were not aware that building work was continuing.

A fire official told AFP emergency teams were working to prevent further collapses at the site.

Durban and the surrounding province of KwaZulu-Natal is the home of President Jacob Zuma. The region has enjoyed a massive construction boom in the last few years, based in part on huge government investment in infrastructure improvements.