• At the moment, investigations into what happened during the George building collapse are still in the collecting of evidence phase.
• According to the Western Cape Premier, a probe into the collapse was launched a day after the event occurred.
• V3 Consulting Engineers is the firm that is handling the investigation for the government.

The Premier of the Western Cape has launched an investigation into the sudden collapse of a building during construction in George, trapping an understood 81 individuals in the rubble, 33 of whom are now confirmed to have passed away.

While South Africa is no stranger to infrastructure-related disasters, the collapse of a building is specifically rare, especially one under construction.

“There must be consequences for this tragedy,” Premier Alan Winde said in a statement. “We owe this to the victims and their families. We also have a responsibility to ensure that everything is done to prevent a similar tragedy like this happening in our province again.”

According to the premier, a probe into the construction of the private building and the people behind it was launched a day after it collapsed, on 7th May. V3 Consulting Engineers is the firm that the Western Cape has contracted to lead the investigation now that the site has been handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Immediately after search and rescue operations concluded on 17th May, investigators began collecting evidence from the scene.

“The process began as soon as the investigating team arrived on site and was undertaken with the cooperation of the SAPS. Evidence was collected under the supervision of the SAPS,” the statement continues.

How far is the George building collapse investigation at the moment

As of Wednesday, the investigation is still in the evidence collection phase, taking place at the site of the George building collapse and in the situation surrounding it. Investigators will be pulling from interviews, construction drawings, civil planning and approval applications, occupational health and safety reports and site diaries to build a case for what happened that led to the collapse.

Investigators will also be conducting technical testing, including a geotechnical assessment which will identify if the building was being constructed on stable ground or not.

“Once all the documents are sourced and all materials are collected, they are accordingly analysed,” says Winde, adding that the investigation, “must be a clinical, thorough process to ensure that all evidence that is processed and documented will be sufficient enough to hold up in any ensuing legal matter.”

[Image – @alanwinde on X]