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Four people, including a 52-year-old Indian-origin man, have died after a Hindu temple under construction collapsed in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. The incident took place on Friday at the New Ahobilam Temple of Protection in Redcliffe, north of eThekwini, formerly known as Durban.
The four-storey temple was being expanded when a section of the structure suddenly gave way while workers were present at the site. The temple is located on a steep hillside, which added to the difficulty of rescue efforts. Officials said the exact number of people who may still be trapped under the rubble remains unclear.
Initially, two deaths were confirmed on Friday. These included a construction worker and a devotee. On Saturday, rescue teams recovered
more bodies, taking the death toll to four.
One of the deceased has been identified as Vickey Jairaj Panday, an executive member of the temple trust and the manager of the construction project. Local media reported that Panday had been closely involved in the development of the temple since work began nearly two years ago. His death was also confirmed by Sanvir Maharaj, director of Food for Love, a charity linked to the temple.
Rescue efforts hampered by weather
Rescue teams worked for two days to recover a fifth body that had been located beneath the rubble. However, operations were suspended on Saturday afternoon due to bad weather, officials said. Authorities added that they could not confirm whether more people remained trapped.
Early rescue attempts were guided by mobile phone calls from one of the trapped individuals, but communication stopped late on Friday evening.
The eThekwini municipality said no building plans had been approved for the project, suggesting the construction may have been illegal. The temple was designed to resemble a cave, using rocks brought from India and excavated on site, and was expected to house one of the world’s largest idols of Lord Nrsimhadeva.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial minister Thulasizwe Buthelezi visited the site and said rescue efforts would continue as long as needed. He thanked government and private teams, including a special dog unit, for their work despite growing concerns that no more survivors may be found.
