Durban – At least 10 people have been injured and several others are feared trapped beneath rubble after a building collapsed at eBuhleni Village in Inanda, north of Durban, on Monday.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after midday, where rescue teams immediately began searching for those believed to be buried under sand and debris.
Speaking to Newsroom Afrika, ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said the incident occurred at a construction site where people were working when the collapse happened.
“We were dispatched just after around 12 o’clock with multiple ambulance services to eBuhleni in the Inanda area, north of Durban, following reports that a construction site had collapsed. Sand and rubble came down, leaving multiple people trapped,” said Jamieson.
He said rescue efforts are being led by the eThekwini Fire Department, with support from Metro Police, the South African Police Service (SAPS), specialised search and rescue teams, and several ambulance services.
[WATCH] Ten people have been injured after a building collapsed in eBuhleni Village in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal. Seven people are feared trapped under the rubble. ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson says they were alerted around midday.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/2BmPrjUmGq
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) July 13, 2026
According to Jamieson, approximately eight injured people had already been transported to hospital before paramedics arrived at the scene. However, uncertainty remains over how many people may still be trapped beneath the rubble.
“The biggest issue at this stage is that there is no certainty as to whether there are still people trapped and, if so, how many,” he said.
Rescue teams are using excavators and spades to carefully remove sand and debris while working to establish whether anyone remains buried underground.
Jamieson explained that the depth of the collapse has made the operation particularly challenging.
“If people are trapped beneath the sand and rubble, they could be buried quite deep underground. Unfortunately, there would be very little access to oxygen, and although sand may seem light, it becomes extremely heavy when it collapses onto a person,” he said.
He added that while rescuers remain hopeful, the operation could ultimately become a recovery mission if survivors are not located in time.
“The rescue operation will not conclude until everyone has been accounted for,” Jamieson said.
He noted that the early transportation of injured victims to hospital has made it difficult to establish the exact number of people involved, identify those who remain unaccounted for, and determine how many may still be trapped.
Multiple emergency service providers remain on site, with ambulances on standby to provide immediate medical assistance should more victims be rescued. Rescue teams continue working to account for everyone affected by the collapse.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
