Authorities have confirmed that the building which collapsed in Ormonde on Monday was erected without approved plans, as rescuers work to recover remaining victims.
Image: Simon Majadibodu / IOL
The death toll in the Ormonde two-storey building collapse has risen to nine, Deputy Minister of Labour Jomo Sibiya has confirmed.
Sibiya visited the site on Tuesday morning to conduct an inspection.
Search-and-rescue operations resumed following a suspension on Monday night, when six people had been confirmed dead.
On Monday, two bodies remained trapped beneath the rubble, and one person was still missing.
The missing person has since been located and declared dead. Emergency officials have also confirmed that two of the workers recovered from under the debris are deceased.
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon at a building site that was under construction.
Earlier, EMS spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said rescue teams were engaged in the extraction process.
“The building involved was constructed in clear violation of the City of Johannesburg bylaws, as proper procedures were not followed,” Khumalo said.
“There is no record of approval from municipal authorities, and the building plans were never submitted for review or formally sanctioned.”
She added that the required permits were not obtained and mandatory inspections were not conducted in accordance with local regulations.
“Consequently, the structure does not meet established city planning and building standards and is classified as an unlawful development under applicable bylaws,” Khumalo said.
The City of Johannesburg EMS has urged all construction companies to strictly adhere to required procedures and regulatory processes for every building project to prevent similar incidents and safeguard public safety.
Earlier, Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero confirmed that building plans had not been submitted to the city.
“On inspection, our teams from EMS and development planning confirmed that no plans were submitted for the structure. We are still trying to trace the owners of the building.
''We know the property belongs to a company, but we are working to identify those responsible,” Morero said.
“The developer or contractor was on site as recently as yesterday. However, they have since switched off their phones and have not returned.”
Morero said additional bodies had been recovered.
“Yes, there are people who passed away this morning. One more body has been identified, and there is a possibility of another body still trapped under the concrete. Unfortunately, the dogs are unable to assist at this stage because the bodies are still fresh.
''They will likely resume work later today and tomorrow to establish whether there is another unaccounted-for victim. Once that is confirmed, the total number of fatalities could rise to around nine.”
He said the city would take action once the property owners are formally identified.
“We have a responsibility to act when such incidents occur, and we are doing so. Part of the process is establishing the owners of the company that owns the property. Once that is done, we can proceed.”
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson, alongside Council for the Built Environment Chief Executive Officer Dr Msizi Myeza, is expected to visit the site on Tuesday afternoon.
They will be joined by officials from the City of Johannesburg Emergency Services and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
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