‘A miracle has happened’: Man found alive 116 hours after George building collapse

After 116 hours of clearing debris of the building that collapsed in George, a man has been found alive.

“Everybody has been wanting a miracle. Well a miracle has happened,” said Premier of the Western Cape Alan Winde in a video posted by Algoa FM News on X.

An unidentified man was discovered on what is thought to be the third floor of the building after rescuers removed another layer of the debris.

After hearing somebody inside they stopped all the heavy operation and spoke to the person inside.

The man is one of the tilers who worked in the building.

The survivor says he is a tiler who worked on site. Our reporter @lynnthejourno says people are crying and overcome with emotion. #GeorgeBuildingCollapse pic.twitter.com/oizdWbH1dt

— AlgoaFMNews (@AlgoaFMNews) May 11, 2024

He indicated that he had weight on his legs which concerned the rescuers.

Two surgeons were on site to ensure that once the man was rescued they could start working on any possible crush syndrome and symptoms.

They have drilled another hole in there to place a camera with a light in the hole and asking the man if he can see the light.

They were able to provide him with water.

He is in contact with the rescue team however they don’t know what his condition is.

It will still take several hours to extricate him.

Confirmed statistics are as follows:

• Total estimated individuals on-site during the incident: 81

• Patients rescued: 42

• Patients deceased: 13

• Patients currently hospitalised: 13

• Unaccounted for: 39

The Joint District Operations Centre adheres to a rigorous double verification protocol in reporting rescue and recovery numbers, collaborating closely with recovery teams, hospitals, and forensic services.

IOL