Two Dead, Several Trapped After Illegal Temple Construction Collapses In Verulam

Two people have died and several others remain trapped beneath concrete and rubble after a four-storey building under construction collapsed at the River Range Ranch temple in Redcliffe, Verulam, north of Durban.

The structure came down on Friday, with IPSS Medical Rescue confirming that five individuals were pulled from the wreckage with minor or no injuries.

According to IPSS, an unconfirmed number of people are still believed to be alive under the debris as rescue teams continue the painstaking operation to reach them. “The contractor is not on site, so it is difficult to confirm numbers at this stage and they may change,” IPSS said.

Rescue Teams Deploy Drones as Search Intensifies

Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) reported that a drone pilot conducted aerial surveillance to help assess the scale of the collapse. Heavy-lifting equipment has been placed on standby to support the extraction of those still trapped.

Emergency crews have been working continuously as concerns grow for individuals yet to be located beneath the rubble.

Municipality Confirms Temple Construction Was Illegal

The eThekwini Municipality said preliminary assessments show that no building plans were submitted or approved for the now-collapsed structure, rendering it illegal.

“The municipality will formally hand the matter over to the Department of Employment and Labour and will continue to cooperate fully with all relevant authorities to provide information that may assist the investigation.

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“At this stage, the cause of the collapse remains undetermined and is under investigation. Additional resources are being mobilised to strengthen extrication efforts and provide medical support to those affected,” the municipality noted.

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