South Africa: Searchers comb rubble after mall collapse
Paramedics look for people trapped in a mall that collapsed in Tongaat, South Africa, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013. South African police say one person has died and 26 were injured in a roof collapse at a shopping mall that was under construction. The accident happened Tuesday in Tongaat, near the eastern coastal city of Durban, and rescue teams rushed to the scene to help workers who were trapped beneath the rubble. AP
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Rescue workers in South Africa are searching for any survivors in the rubble of a shopping mall under construction that partially collapsed, killing one person and injuring 29.
Police Lt. Mandy Govender said Wednesday that authorities were trying to ascertain the whereabouts of several workers who were reported missing following the collapse on Tuesday in Tongaat, near the eastern coastal city of Durban.
Police earlier said two people were killed. On Wednesday morning, Govender said one person was confirmed dead.
The South African Press Association quoted a municipal official as saying construction should not have been taking place because of irregularities in the work.
