The KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli is expected to visit the collapsed Redcliffe Temple in Verulam on Sunday morning where rescuers recovered the bodies of four people who died when the four-storey structure crashed on Saturday.
Recovery operations for the fifth body that was trapped underneath the rubble resume on Sunday morning. The operation was called off on Saturday afternoon due to heavy rainfall.
WATCH | As rescue efforts continue in Verulam, north of Durban, Ward Councillor Fakazi Witness Mdletshe says about three people, believed to be beneath the rubble, are not responding. This follows the collapse of a four-storey temple, which has left one person dead. pic.twitter.com/LQFSnUSyKl
— SABC News (@SABCNews) December 12, 2025
One of the deceased is believed to be one of the directors of the temple.
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean McPherson visited the site on Saturday and said the investigation into the incident will be led by the Council for Built Environment. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation. However a preliminary report from the Ethekwini municipality suggested that there were no approvals for the building plan thus rendering the building illegal. A team of engineers has also been brought in to assist at the site.
WATCH | The death toll at the collapsed River Range Ranch temple in Verulam, north of Durban, rises to four after three more bodies were recovered today. SABC News reporter Ayanda Mhlongo has the latest. pic.twitter.com/Dc1scay6Gc
— SABC News (@SABCNews) December 13, 2025
VIDEO | Four people confirmed dead in Verulam temple:
