At least two Malawians have died and two others are in critical condition after a building collapsed on them in South Africa.
The two are among seven people who have been confirmed dead as dozens are still buried under the rubble after a five-storey building, which was under construction, collapsed on Monday.
A construction crew of 75 people was on site in the coastal city of George in South Africa’s Western Cape province at the time of the collapse, according to reports.
At least 34 people have, so far, been removed from the rubble, seven of whom have been confirmed dead.
In an interview Wednesday, site information sourcing officer for the Malawian Consulate, Douglas Chanaichi Nsini, said the condition of the two hospitalised Malawians indicates red, which means “critical but the situation may change once they get treatment,” he said.
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As of Wednesday afternoon, Nsini said they were still waiting to hear from the rescue team on the particulars of the deceased and the other two casualties.
On his part, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Charles Nkhalamba said they are still waiting for information from Malawi’s consulate as regards the issue.
“We have requested, through our consulate, information on the victims of the tragic incident and we are waiting to hear from our counterparts to share the information at an opportune time. As you may be aware, the rescue operations are still underway and, as such, it might still be early to ascertain whether some of the victims are Malawians, and how many,” he said.
It is not yet clear why the building, located near the city centre, suddenly collapsed, with police saying investigations have been launched.
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More than a day after the apartment building collapsed, rescuers are still searching for 41 people who are unaccounted for.
