Rescue operations at collapsed George building not yet a recovery mission - officials

GEORGE/JOHANNESBURG - Disaster management officials said that the operation at a collapsed building in George had not yet been declared a recovery mission despite the 72-hour rescue window lapsing. 

Forty-four of 81 construction workers are still unaccounted for after the five-storey block of flats folded on Monday. 

Eight deaths have been confirmed. 

The site has been taken over by police and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi said their independent investigation would commence when the site had been handed over.

"Given the fact that there were fatalities and what happened here, the first stage is this rescue stage and try and recover what you're able to and that's why our investigations are delayed, we can't start with those investigations until this team, together with the police, say 'we've been able to do this, we're satisfied with ourselves', then they can hand over."

Nxesi also called for an end to speculation over the cause of the George building collapse and for investigators to be given the space to do their work. 

The minister said that the police's investigation should continue unhindered.

"There's a lot of rumours. We don't want to speculate. We will leave everything to the investigations and then once the investigations have been able to expose the facts, we will talk to that."