Three construction workers have died whilst two others are missing and believed to have also died after an embankment collapsed at a construction site in Ballito, Durban, today.

BENEATH THE SOIL

IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson, Sam Meyrick ,said they managed to recover three bodies and were still in search of two others.

Meyrick said it was unsafe to continue with the search because while the rescue teams were digging through the landslide as they experienced another collapse which forced them to stop operations. 

"The scene is unsafe, so the rescue operations have been called off to allow safety systems to be put in place to protect rescuers," she said.

GEORGE SEARCH CALLED OFF

Meanwhile search and rescue efforts were officially called off at the collapsed building site in George as volunteers and search teams scoured through the remaining rubble.

Local Government MEC Anton Bredell on Friday morning said their rescue rate was one to be proud of.

"We have officially seized rescue and search efforts as we reached below the concrete and did thorough searches of the area.When we entered the site, the search and rescue team asked how many people we were looking for, and while asking that question, the search and rescue already started. The figures were all over the place. We acknowledge that, but it?s not our fault, it?s the contractor. We struggled to get the names from the subcontractors. People were also known by nicknames. We spoke to the embassy and people change their names quite often."