Six dead after concrete slab collapse at Johannesburg construction site

At least six people have died after a concrete floor collapsed at a building under construction in Johannesburg on Monday, emergency services confirmed.

The incident occurred at a two-storey structure in Amethyst Business Park in the suburb of Ormonde, south of Johannesburg. Authorities reported that a first-floor concrete slab, which divided the building into two levels, gave way and fell onto individuals working below, causing a major structural failure.

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Xolile Khumalo stated that two people remain trapped beneath the rubble, while three others are unaccounted for. One person was rescued and transported to hospital. Rescue operations are ongoing, with crews working cautiously due to instability at the site. Officials warned that parts of the structure continue to cave in, increasing the risk to emergency personnel.

Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety, Mgcini Tshwaku, described the situation as devastating and confirmed that surgeons had been called to assess one trapped individual whose leg was pinned beneath a concrete slab. Authorities indicated that amputation may be necessary to facilitate rescue.

The cause of the collapse remains unclear. Tshwaku stated that a full investigation will begin once all individuals have been accounted for. The inquiry will examine construction oversight, structural integrity and compliance with approved building plans.

Emergency teams, including paramedics, firefighters and specialist search and rescue units, remain on site. Members of the public have been urged to avoid the area to allow operations to proceed safely.

The collapse follows a separate fatal construction incident in South Africa in 2024, when a building under construction in George collapsed, killing 34 workers.