Twenty-nine out of the 75 workers present at the construction site during the building collapse in the city of George have been successfully rescued from the rubble alive. Unfortunately, six of them have sustained life-threatening injuries.

Rescue teams in South Africa were hurrying against the clock on Wednesday to locate additional survivors following a fatal building collapse in the Western Cape province. Search efforts extended into a third day.

Using subterranean cameras and trained dogs, rescuers meticulously combed through the debris, searching for approximately 40 construction workers who remained unaccounted for, two days subsequent to the collapse of an apartment building under construction in George city.

The collapse of an unfinished five-storey building on Monday claimed the lives of at least eight individuals, with the cause yet to be established.

On Wednesday, rescuers in George were alerted by Mayor Leon Van Wyk to a "sound or tapping" emanating from beneath the rubble. However, Van Wyk expressed diminishing hopes, citing a significant drop in the likelihood of finding survivors beyond the 72-hour mark post-collapse, with time ticking away.

Van Wyk informed the national broadcaster SABC that operations would transition into the "body recovery" phase within the next day, moving away from rescue efforts.

Out of the 75 workers present at the site during the collapse, 29 have been successfully rescued alive. Regrettably, six individuals sustain life-threatening injuries, while 16 others remain in critical condition.

Various authorities, including the police, the provincial government, and the national department of labor, have initiated investigations into the factors behind the building's collapse.

Anton Bredell, the Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs, and Development Planning, affirmed, "There will be consequences."

George, a city nestled along South Africa's scenic coastal Garden Route with a population of approximately 150,000 people, is renowned as a holiday and golfing hotspot.