Dozens trapped after South Africa mall collapse
- 11 years ago
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
STORY: At least one person was killed and up to 50 more were trapped under rubble on Tuesday after a half-built shopping mall collapsed near the South African coastal city of Durban, emergency services and police said.
Some 26 people had been taken to hospital in the town of Tongaat, 30 km (20 miles) north of Durban, Chris Botha, a spokesman for the Netcare 911 emergency service, told Reuters.
It was not yet clear what had caused the collapse of the three-story building, which had been under construction for some time, residents told Reuters.
If safety regulations are found to have been breached, the accident could sour already fraught labor relations in South Africa's construction sector and might have ramifications for the ruling African National Congress as it moves towards an election next year.
STORY: At least one person was killed and up to 50 more were trapped under rubble on Tuesday after a half-built shopping mall collapsed near the South African coastal city of Durban, emergency services and police said.
Some 26 people had been taken to hospital in the town of Tongaat, 30 km (20 miles) north of Durban, Chris Botha, a spokesman for the Netcare 911 emergency service, told Reuters.
It was not yet clear what had caused the collapse of the three-story building, which had been under construction for some time, residents told Reuters.
If safety regulations are found to have been breached, the accident could sour already fraught labor relations in South Africa's construction sector and might have ramifications for the ruling African National Congress as it moves towards an election next year.