Death toll from temple building collapse in South Africa rises to 5

The death toll from the building collapse last week was one Hindu The number of temples destroyed in South Africa has increased to five and investigators have begun looking into the cause of the disaster, officials said on Monday.

The multi-storey building was being constructed on top of the temple in the eastern city of Verulam, about 25 kilometers (15 mi) to the north. Durbanwhen it collapsed on Friday, and officials confirmed one person was dead at the time.

KwaZulu Natal provincial police spokesman, Colonel Robert Ntshunda, said search teams pulled four more bodies from the debris over the weekend, bringing the death toll to five. Authorities did not release the names of the victims, nor say how many additional people were feared trapped in the collapse.

“Search and rescue teams remain on site to ensure that all people who were on the site at the time of the incident have been identified,” Netshiunda told The Associated Press.

The regional government, centered around Durban, said initial reports indicated that construction on the site was illegal because it had no approved building plans. Police Netshiunda said an investigation into the collapse in Verulam has been launched.

The temple complex, on a steep slope towards a farm, was undergoing expansion work when it suddenly collapsed just before noon on Friday. Images of the aftermath released by the municipality showed twisted metal, collapsed pillars and piles of debris.

The local government said it would take a long time to clear the site as “the debris must be removed carefully and systematically to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”

The South African Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, a constitutional body that protects and promotes the rights of diverse communities, said the collapse had traumatized worshippers, relatives and the larger community.

“Places of worship are sacred places of refuge, prayer and communal strength and any tragedy within such a place deeply affects us all,” the commission said in a statement.

Less than 2% people follow Hinduism south african throughout the country, but it is most common in KwaZulu-Natal. The largest Hindu temple and cultural complex in the southern hemisphere opened johannesburg in February.