President Cyril Ramaphosa is mourning the loss of the five people who were killed in a multi-storey building collapse in the Southern Cape town of George. The president says his thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones as well as the families of close to 50 people who are trapped in the rubble.

He has wished the rescue teams the best as they continue their operations. President Ramaphosa says investigations into the cause of the incident at the construction site must aim to bring closure to the community and prevent a repeat of this disaster.

The Victoria Street building collapse occurred around on Monday around 2pm, trapping just over 70 workers. At least 21 people have been pulled from the rubble.