Reuters :
A man was rescued from the rubble five days after a deadly building collapse in South Africa in what Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said was “nothing short of a miracle”.
Officials said in a statement that of 81 people who were on site when the five-story building collapsed on Monday in the city of George, east of Cape Town, 13 were confirmed dead, 29 were alive and 39 were still unaccounted for.
In a post on ‘X’, Winde said on Saturday the survivor had been successfully extracted from the debris after 116 hours.
After Monday’s collapse, rescuers used cranes, drills and their bare hands to try to reach those trapped. Rescue operations were continuing.
Rescuers were able to make contact with the man and give him water after hearing someone inside the rubble.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said Saturday’s rescue was the “miracle” they had been hoping for.
The partially built apartment block collapsed on Monday, killing at least 14 people and leaving 39 unaccounted for.
Eighty-one people were on the construction site when the building came down, the city’s latest announcement said. Thirteen of those who were rescued are being treated in hospital.
South African channel News24 reported the rescued man was Gabriel Gambe, a 33-year-old tiler, who was seen being carried into a waiting ambulance.
Speaking from the site of the collapsed building, Mr Winde expressed his gratitude to the teams working “tirelessly” to rescue those who are 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.”
Colin Deiner, the province’s head of disaster management, said Mr Gambe told them before he was pulled free that he had a “weight” on his legs.
“We are very concerned about that after such a long period of time so we have had two surgeons come in.”
Saturday’s rescue follows the freeing of 29-year-old Delvin Safels on Wednesday, who caught the public’s attention after he sent heart-wrenching voice notes to his parents and girlfriend, telling them how much he loved them and expressing the fear that he would not come out alive.