A tiler was miraculously found alive after being trapped for hours under the rubble of the collapsed George building, which had already claimed the lives of 13 people by Saturday morning.
The Victoria Street building, still under construction, collapsed on Monday about 2pm.
Western Cape Disaster Management Chief, Colin Deiner, said rescue teams heard someone below the rubble and immediately stopped all the heavy operations .
" And then we actually spoke to him and he spoke to us," Deiner said.
"He is one of the tilers we don't know his name yet.
"He indicated to us that he had weight on his legs, we are concerned about that.
"We have two surgeons coming in. He is in contact with him. We don't know his condition yet."
Western Cape premier Alan Winde described the situation as a miracle.
“In what I can only describe as the miracle we have all been hoping for, today our rescueteams found a trapped worker alive,” Winde said.
“Thank you to the rescue teams and volunteers who have been working so hard these last days to rescue those trapped.
"We never gave up hope and today I cannot express the extent of my relief and joy.
"Thank you to all the teams – you are true heroes. I am so proud of you."
As of Saturday morning, 40 people remain unaccounted for and 13 were declared dead.
Thirteen are currently hospitalised.
HeraldLIVE
Another survivor found alive 116 hours into George rescue operation
Image: Werner Hills
A tiler was miraculously found alive after being trapped for hours under the rubble of the collapsed George building, which had already claimed the lives of 13 people by Saturday morning.
The Victoria Street building, still under construction, collapsed on Monday about 2pm.
Western Cape Disaster Management Chief, Colin Deiner, said rescue teams heard someone below the rubble and immediately stopped all the heavy operations .
" And then we actually spoke to him and he spoke to us," Deiner said.
"He is one of the tilers we don't know his name yet.
"He indicated to us that he had weight on his legs, we are concerned about that.
"We have two surgeons coming in. He is in contact with him. We don't know his condition yet."
Western Cape premier Alan Winde described the situation as a miracle.
“In what I can only describe as the miracle we have all been hoping for, today our rescueteams found a trapped worker alive,” Winde said.
“Thank you to the rescue teams and volunteers who have been working so hard these last days to rescue those trapped.
"We never gave up hope and today I cannot express the extent of my relief and joy.
"Thank you to all the teams – you are true heroes. I am so proud of you."
As of Saturday morning, 40 people remain unaccounted for and 13 were declared dead.
Thirteen are currently hospitalised.
HeraldLIVE
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