Distraught families seek answers after Ormonde tragedy

Investigators looking into building quality

- By Coceka Magubeni

The Ormonde collapse claimed the lives of nine construction workers

Grief and unanswered questions weigh heavily on the families of the nine construction workers who tragically died when a building collapsed in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, earlier this week.

The faces of the family members bore the agony of loss as they embarked on the unenviable task of identifying the mortal remains of their loved ones at the Hillbrow government mortuary on Tuesday.

For Nomasonto Mkhwanazi, the devastating news about her brother’s demise came in the worst way possible - through social media. Her brother, Phumlani Mkhwanazi (26), and eight others died after being trapped for hours beneath the rubble of a double-storey building owned by New Order Investments 90.

She said she was made aware of the disaster when videos and posts about the collapse began trending online.