George building collapse dogs come to the rescue

Five people have been confirmed dead following a devastating structural collapse at a temple construction site in Verulam, north of Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

- Molefe Seeletsa

Rescue and recovery operations continued throughout Saturday at the New Ahobilam Temple of Protection in Redcliffe, where a four-storey structure that was still under construction gave way on Friday, trapping several people under tons of rubble.

Emergency teams worked tirelessly at the scene as concerns mounted that more victims could still be buried under the debris.

Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) confirmed that four bodies were recovered during search operations, while a fifth victim was located but could not immediately be retrieved due to worsening weather conditions.

"At this stage, it cannot be confirmed whether additional individuals remain trapped beneath the rubble," Rusa said.