48 workers trapped as building collapses in South Africa

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A multi-story building under construction in South Africa’s seaside city of George collapsed on Monday, trapping approximately 48 workers, according to city hall.

According to a city spokesman, 70 people were on the site at the time of the collapse, with 22 being sent to the hospital.

According to Mario Ferreira, a spokeswoman for the organisation Gift of the Givers, rescue teams had “communication with some of the people under the rubble” at the scene.

It was yet unknown what caused the building, which included an underground parking lot, to collapse in the early afternoon.

Photographs shared by the municipality showed a flattened construction site with multiple rescue services present.

“There have been people taken out, seriously injured. At this stage we haven’t got any fatalities yet,” said Ferreira.

Resue operations continued into the evening at the site.