Death toll rises to 12 as rescuers search in rubble of building

Hope was fading yesterday for dozens of construction workers buried for days in the rubble of a building that collapsed in South Africa.

Authorities say rescuers must move thousands of tons of concrete with heavy machinery to see if there are more survivors.

The death toll rose to 12 after a critically injured worker died in hospital, authorities said.

At least 41 workers are missing and it’s feared the death toll could exceed 50.

Of the 28 workers rescued from the site, 21 were in critical condition or had life-threatening injuries after Monday’s collapse of the five-storey apartment complex that was under construction.

Authorities in the city of George on South Africa’s south coast said large earth-moving equipment had arrived on site.

City authorities said it was still a rescue not a recovery operation, but no survivors have been found or brought out since Wednesday.

New information from the construction firm showed there were 81 workers when the building collapsed, not 75 as was first announced.

More than 600 personnel are involved in the operation – many from nearby towns and cities.

Authorities say multiple probes are under way into the cause of the collapse, including by police, the provincial government and the national department of labour.