Rescue officials are still searching for survivors after a shopping mall building collapsed in Tongaat, north of Durban on late Tuesday.

The search started on Tuesday but officials have to abandon it due to darkness and search began on early Wednesday with rescue workers using sniffer dogs, picking through rubble in search of possible survivors.

It was not immediately clear how many people might be still trapped in the wreckage but local reporters said up to 50 people might have been trapped inside.

Local reporters quoted the city’s governor, James Nxumalo as saying that the three-storey building was not issued with a building permit due to some safety concerns officials raised.

“Authorities had obtained a series of court injunctions, the latest was on November 14, to halt construction, it looks like the company violated all of those court orders and now this tragedy happened’’, Mr. Nxumalo told Talk Radio 702.

Police spokeswoman in the area, Mandy Govender told reporters that the situation was worse when the police arrived at the disasters scene but rescue officials are making progress.

“We have no idea how many are trapped at the moment, but we’ve only got confirmation some are missing but emergency workers are on the ground, it was just total chaos when we first arrived here but we are making progress now’’, she said.

Local reporters identified the owner of the building as a South African businessman of Indian descent who is well-known in Durban.

Apart from one confirmed death, 29 people, two of them in critical condition, were rushed to nearby hospital for medical care.

There has been no official statement from the South African government concerning the disaster but analysts say this disaster could trigger serious checks on building permits in the country.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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