News24 | UPDATE | Six dead, others missing and trapped in Joburg building collapse

The site of the construction collapse in Ormonde, Johannesburg South, where six workers have been confirmed dead.

• Six construction workers have died in a building collapse in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg.
• They were part of a group of 12 construction workers building a factory on the site.
• Of the 12, one has been rescued, two are trapped, and three remain missing and unaccounted for.

Six people have been confirmed dead, while others remain missing and trapped beneath rubble following a building collapse in Johannesburg on Monday.

Mgcini Tshwaku, the MMC for community safety in the City of Johannesburg, said the victims were working on the ground floor of the two-storey building when part of the structure gave way and collapsed on them.

Tshwaku said rescuers could hear one of the trapped employees speaking from beneath the debris. The workers are believed to be pinned under a concrete slab that fell during the collapse.

Tshwaku added that one of the trapped employees may need to have a leg amputated due to the severity of his injuries.

Emergency teams are awaiting the arrival of a doctor to perform the procedure on-site.

The number of fatalities increased to six by 17:00 on Monday, confirmed by City of Joburg emergency services spokesperson Xoli Khumalo.

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Khumalo said one of the victims had already been rescued, and one remained trapped under the rubble. Two others, he said, were about to be rescued.

“Three remain unaccounted for. The building is unstable and risky for emergency rescuers,” Khumalo said.

Khumalo added:

An eyewitness told News24 that the building had collapsed shortly after lunch.

“I heard a loud bang and saw a huge cloud of dust. I ran inside the building and saw employees crawling out. They told me parts of the concrete slab on the first floor had collapsed. Emergency services were contacted,” he said.

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The witness added that some workers managed to rescue their trapped colleagues before emergency teams arrived.

Another man, who identified himself as both a colleague and neighbour of one of the deceased, said he was working nearby when he received the news.

“I called my colleagues, and we ran to the scene. I saw my neighbour lying there with visible injuries and bleeding. He was dead. I don’t know what I am going to tell his wife at home in Alexandra,” he said.

Mhlanguli Ngubule struggled to hold back tears as he recounted how he watched nine of his colleagues, whom he described as friends and brothers, being swallowed by wet concrete slabs.

Ngubule said:

Ngubule said he was operating a concrete-pouring machine on the ground floor while his colleagues were working on the upper level.

According to Ngulube, the concrete slab used was too heavy for the building, which may have contributed to the collapse.

“I have known the nine victims for 15 years. We have worked together as brothers and friends. This tragedy weighs heavily on me, and it is difficult to face their next of kin,” he said.

He added that preliminary observations suggested that some stabilising materials may have been missing.

Tshwaku said initial investigations pointed to possible shoddy workmanship.

“We will check whether the building plans were approved by an engineer and verify if quality materials were used during construction. The building was partially caving in,” Tshwaku said.

“We want to establish who approved the drawings and materials. From what I can see, the workmanship is poor. The walls are not strong.”

Construction of the building started in November.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional eyewitness information.