Verulam temple owner’s sister devastated by his death

Government officials visiting the Verulam building collapse site.

The sister of the owner of the temple in Verulam, near Durban who died when the building collapsed on Friday, says they are devastated.

The official death toll has risen to five after another body was retrieved from the rubble on Sunday morning.

The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Thamsanqa Ntuli says they suspect that there may be more bodies as there is still no confirmation on how many people were at the site when the building collapsed.

Sushie Inder says her brother Vic Panday was a key role player in the community. She believes it will take time for her to recover from the loss.

“He was always there for the community not just for us but for the community. Everything he finds he will share it with the family and the community. I will really miss him and my heart cries as he was not just a brother but a friend to me.”

KZN COGTA MEC Rev. Thulasizwe Buthelezi joined Public Works Minister Dean MacPherson, MEC Martin Meyer and eThekwini Mayor Cllr Cyril Xaba at the site of the Verulam building collapse. Emergency teams were praised for their tireless work in heavy rain.Four lives have been lost. pic.twitter.com/FH4GSy0XCO

— KZNCOGTA (@kzncogta) December 13, 2025