JOHANNESBURG (AP) — At least six people died when part of a building collapsed in the South African city of Johannesburg on Monday, emergency services said.
Two others were trapped under rubble and three people were missing, Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo told reporters at the scene. She said one person was rescued.
Khumalo said a floor in an upper level of the building gave way and fell onto people below it. The rescue effort was complicated because parts of the building were still unstable and “caving in,” Khumalo said.
Johannesburg public safety official Mgcini Tshwaku said part of the building was under construction when the collapse happened. It wasn’t immediately clear if all the victims were construction workers. He said one of the men trapped under rubble had a large concrete slab pinning his leg and it might have to be amputated to free him.
There will be an investigation into who was in charge of the construction work and if plans were properly reviewed and approved, Tshwaku said.
A building that was under construction collapsed in South Africa’s southern city of George in 2024, killing 34 construction workers. An investigation found multiple failures, including breaches of safety regulations, were responsible for that tragedy.
___
More AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
