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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

‘We still hope for that miracle that more people will be found alive in George’, says MEC Anton Bredell

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Local government MEC Anton Bredell has said he will not stop hoping that more people will be found alive in the George tragedy.

 

On Monday, a building that was under construction caved in, on Victoria Street, trapping 81 construction workers. On Friday afternoon, Bredell confirmed that 2 more bodies were found, bringing the death toll to 14. This means that 39 people remain trapped under the rubble of the collapsed structure.

 

“We have found another 2 bodies. They are (code) blue patients. The number of deceased is 14. We are still looking for 39 others, as we managed to rescue 41 people,” confirmed Bredell.

 

READ MORE: Death toll rises in George, dozens of people still unaccounted for

 

george building collapse
Image credit: Herman Pieters, GRDM Communications

 

It’s been 4 days since the incident happened. However, Bredell insisted that hope has not diminished. He said that in international natural disasters, there have been incidents where people were found alive, under rubble, 9 days after the fact.

 

“There are cavities in the building, open areas, and we still hope that we will find people alive. Last night, we’ve also pumped oxygen into it (the building), so if we can do anything to keep people safe, we will do that. We still hope for that miracle that we will find people alive,” concluded Bredell.

 

Lizell Persens
Lizell Persens
Lizell is a Cape Town-based news anchor, reporter and transcriptionist. She has been a journalist for the past 10 years, and started her career as a TV producer. The avid reader enjoys writing poems, fast cars, music, travelling, and exploring new food.

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