VERULAM, South Africa — A multistory expansion project atop a Hindu temple collapsed violently on Friday in this eastern South African town, resulting in one confirmed fatality and leaving multiple individuals trapped beneath concrete rubble. The incident has triggered a complex rescue operation amid growing concerns about illegal construction practices.
Local authorities from EThekwini Municipality confirmed the structural failure occurred north of Durban, revealing that preliminary investigations indicate the construction lacked approved building plans. Municipal officials characterized the structure as illegally under development at the time of the collapse.
Emergency response teams reported at least eight injured individuals transported to medical facilities, though the exact number of trapped victims remains unverified. Prem Balram of Reaction Unit South Africa, a private emergency response organization, indicated initial reports suggested six people remained buried beneath the debris, though official numbers await confirmation.
Disturbing accounts emerged of trapped victims using mobile phones to communicate their locations to family members, who then relayed information to rescue crews. The identity of those trapped—whether construction workers, temple worshippers, or both—remains uncertain according to Balram, who noted one of the temple proprietors might be among the entrapped.
The collapsed structure, described as a three-to-four story extension to the existing temple, presented rescuers with what Balram characterized as a ‘mammoth task’ due to the instability of the remaining structure. Situated atop a hill overlooking a ranch, the site now displays grotesque tangles of twisted metal support beams, shattered concrete pillars, and massive rubble mounds where the building once stood.
This tragedy echoes another recent construction disaster in South Africa, where over 30 workers perished in a building collapse in George along the country’s southern coast just last year. That incident, subsequently attributed to design deficiencies, substandard materials, and gross negligence, prompted weeks of rescue efforts and eventual criminal investigations.
Multiple emergency response agencies, including both municipal teams and private organizations, coordinated efforts at the Verulam site as operations continued through Friday.