DURBAN: Disaster Management teams are awaiting the arrival of specialised equipment to assist in the recovery of a mother and her teenage son who are trapped in a collapsed house on the KZN North Coast.
Prem Balram, the director of Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), said they had received a call just after 11pm, requesting assistance after a retaining wall fell on a Waterloo home and trapped the occupants.
“It was confirmed that the family were asleep when the wall collapsed. A large portion of the wall crashed through the roof and crushed the teenager in his bed while trapping his mother in her bedroom.
“His elder brother informed Rusa members that he was in the residence at the time of the incident. However, he managed to escape without injury.
“He confirmed that his mother was in her bedroom and could be heard crying before she went silent. It cannot be confirmed at this stage if she is alive.”
Balram said that by Friday morning rescuers were unable to enter the building because it was unstable.
Balram said the recovery would continue today.
IOL