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| South Africa mall roof collapse traps dozens | South Africa mall roof collapse traps dozens |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two people have died and about 40 are feared trapped after a roof collapsed at the construction site of a South African shopping mall, paramedics say. | Two people have died and about 40 are feared trapped after a roof collapsed at the construction site of a South African shopping mall, paramedics say. |
| Rescue teams are working in the dark to find those beneath the rubble at the site in Tongaat, north of Durban. | Rescue teams are working in the dark to find those beneath the rubble at the site in Tongaat, north of Durban. |
| Crisis Medical, an emergency service provider in Durban, told BBC Focus on Africa that about 30 people had been taken to hospitals in the area. | Crisis Medical, an emergency service provider in Durban, told BBC Focus on Africa that about 30 people had been taken to hospitals in the area. |
| Officials said those trapped were construction workers. | Officials said those trapped were construction workers. |
| "It was a mall building still under construction; most of those still trapped inside the building were construction workers," police spokeswoman Mandy Govender told the AFP news agency. | "It was a mall building still under construction; most of those still trapped inside the building were construction workers," police spokeswoman Mandy Govender told the AFP news agency. |
| Sniffer dogs | |
| "Rescue operations are becoming extremely difficult in the dark," Neil Powell, operations director for Crisis Medical, told the BBC World Service radio programme Focus on Africa. | "Rescue operations are becoming extremely difficult in the dark," Neil Powell, operations director for Crisis Medical, told the BBC World Service radio programme Focus on Africa. |
| "So far there are two deaths, 30 have already been transported [to hospitals] and there's still 40 trapped," he said. | |
| Police on the scene have different figures, saying that one person has died, 29 are injured and at least 50 are still trapped. | |
| Mr Powell said the workers were trapped in a large amount of rubble and scaffolding. | |
| Chris Botha, from the private ambulance company Netcare 911, said it was too early to know the cause of the collapsed roof, which is about the size of rugby field. | |
| "It is going to be a long operation. It will take time to get to everyone," he told the BBC. | "It is going to be a long operation. It will take time to get to everyone," he told the BBC. |
| The accident happened around 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT), he told the AFP news agency. | The accident happened around 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT), he told the AFP news agency. |
| About 100 rescue workers are at the scene, where hydraulic equipment is being used to break through the concrete blocks. | |
| Sniffer dogs are also searching for more casualties, Mr Botha said. | |
| Tongaat is a small town about 40km (25 miles) north of Durban surrounded by sugar farms and has a large South African Asian population. | Tongaat is a small town about 40km (25 miles) north of Durban surrounded by sugar farms and has a large South African Asian population. |
| According to Netcare 911, the shopping mall construction site is in the city centre, near a hospital and a railway. | |
| Nearby transport routes to Tongaat had been affected as the main road through the town has been shut to traffic and trains have been stopped, Mr Powell said. | |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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