Redcliffe, KZN – A massive rescue effort is underway in Redcliffe after a four-storey temple under construction collapsed on Friday, trapping multiple people beneath the rubble.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) confirmed that they received the first call for assistance at 11:56 from a member of the public who witnessed the structure give way.
“When we arrived, eight construction workers were already outside the collapsed structure,” RUSA said in a statement. “They sustained mild to moderate injuries. Multiple individuals are confirmed to still be trapped beneath the debris. The extent of their injuries are unknown at this stage.”
The building reportedly collapsed during a ready-mix concrete pouring operation, causing the upper structure to crash down onto an existing cave temple beneath it.
One witness, Anusha Singh, described the moment of the collapse, saying: “I just heard this whole place collapsed. Even the cave temple. The four-storey building collapsed on top of the cave temple.”
Disaster Management teams are coordinating the ongoing operation, which remained active as of 14:58. Heavy lifting equipment has been brought in and is on standby, while specialised Search and Rescue units and Ethekwini Fire & Rescue Services are working to locate those still unaccounted for.
RUSA added that its drone pilot conducted aerial surveillance to help rescue technicians assess the full extent of the collapse.
Structural engineers are en route to the scene, and officials say a coordinated rescue plan is being finalised.
Authorities have yet to confirm how many people remain trapped.
This is a developing story.
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Picture: Facebook/ Rusa
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
