At least 6 people killed in a building collapse in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A concrete floor that was under construction in a building in the South African city of Johannesburg collapsed on Monday, killing at least six people and leaving two trapped under the rubble, emergency services said.

Three others were missing, Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo told reporters at the scene. She said one person was rescued.

Khumalo said the floor on an upper level of the building, in the suburb of Ormonde in southern Johannesburg, gave way and fell onto people below it. The rescue effort was complicated because parts of the building were still unstable and “caving in,” Khumalo said, calling it a risky operation for emergency personnel.

Johannesburg public safety official Mgcini Tshwaku said part of the building was under construction when the collapse happened. It wasn’t immediately clear if all the victims were construction workers. He said one of the men trapped under rubble had a large concrete slab pinning his leg and it might have to be amputated to free him.

A surgeon had been brought in from a nearby hospital to assess the man’s condition, according to Tshwaku.

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“We just have to get everyone out,” Tshwaku said.

There will be an investigation into who was in charge of the construction work and if plans were properly reviewed and approved, Tshwaku said.

A building that was under construction collapsed in South Africa’s southern city of George in 2024, killing 34 construction workers and resulting in a 10-day rescue operation. An investigation found multiple failures, including breaches of safety regulations, were responsible for that tragedy.

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The Associated Press