Joburg building collapse: 'It will be difficult for me to sleep' - survivor

A construction worker who survived a deadly building collapse in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, says he does not know how he will continue with his life after losing several of his colleagues.

A portion of the building, which was still under construction, collapsed on Monday, claiming the lives of six people and leaving others critically injured.

It’s understood a concrete slab forming part of the second-floor deck gave in, trapping workers beneath the rubble for hours before rescuers could reach them.

Those who managed to escape have recounted the terrifying moment they realised something had gone horribly wrong.

The massive building, positioned between two towering electricity pylons, has now become a source of grief and unimaginable pain for many families.

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The smell of wet cement and dust lingered strongly in the air as relatives gathered outside the collapsed building, holding onto hope that their loved ones would be found alive

But the pain deepened when trapped workers were pulled from the rubble and rushed to waiting ambulances on stretchers, with no sign of life.

“It’s going to be so difficult for me to sleep. I heard them screaming their lungs out and desperately asking to be rescued. They were like family to me. I’m shattered.”

While the building collapsed at around 2pm on Monday, emergency officials remained on scene well into the late evening.