Pretoria – An inquest has been opened after four people died when a wall collapsed on them at GaChuene Thogwaneng.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the incident happened before 6pm on Saturday.
“The incident reportedly happened during a wedding ceremony. People attending the wedding ceremony were reportedly seated in a tent that was joined to an unroofed building when strong winds blew up the tent and, in the process, the wall collapsed, instantly killing three people and injuring scores (of) others,” said Mojapelo.
“Twelve people were seriously injured and were taken to hospital. One of them succumbed to the injuries in hospital, bringing the total number of the deceased to four.”
He said the process of identifying the deceased had begun and their identities would be revealed after the next-of-kin had been informed.
“Police investigations are continuing,” said Mojapelo.
Last month, a KwaZulu-Natal teenager died after a wall collapsed on his home. His 59-year-old mother was trapped in her bedroom as emergency services devised a plan to enter the unstable home and rescue her without injuring themselves.
The incident occurred when a retaining wall fell on a home in Pricklepear Road in Waterloo.
Prem Balram, the director of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), said residents called their offices requesting assistance.
He said that reaction officers and RUSA medics were dispatched to the scene and, on arrival, they found the Verulam SAPS in attendance.
“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 (16-year-old) teenager in his bed while trapping his mother in her bedroom,” Balram said.
IOL