Seven Trapped After Building Collapses at eBuhleni Village in Inanda

DURBAN – At least seven people are believed to be trapped beneath the rubble after a building collapsed at eBuhleni Village in Inanda, prompting a major rescue operation involving emergency services and specialist search teams.

More than 10 people have already been pulled from the debris with injuries and rushed to nearby hospitals, while rescue crews continue searching for those still unaccounted for.

ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said multiple paramedic units, the eThekwini Fire Department and specialist search and rescue teams were on the scene.

“The fire department is leading the rescue operation and is digging through the debris to search for anyone who may still be trapped,” Jamieson said.

The severity of the injuries sustained by those taken to hospital has not yet been disclosed.

The collapse occurred at eBuhleni Village, the headquarters of one of the two main factions of the Nazareth Baptist Church, widely known as the Shembe Church.

The site holds deep religious and cultural significance. It emerged following the 1976 succession split within the original Ibandla lamaNazaretha, founded by Prophet Isaiah Shembe in the early 1900s. Together with the nearby Ekuphakameni Village and Nhlangakazi Holy Mountain, eBuhleni is recognised as a KwaZulu-Natal provincial heritage site and regularly attracts thousands of worshippers during annual pilgrimages and religious ceremonies.

Given the large numbers of people who often gather at the site, concerns remain over how many individuals may have been inside or near the collapsed structure. Authorities have not yet confirmed what caused the collapse or provided details about the building involved.

Latest structural collapse

The incident is the latest in a series of building collapses in the eThekwini region.

In May, a building on Union Lane in Durban’s CBD partially collapsed, injuring several people and leaving one person trapped beneath the rubble. Emergency crews used heavy lifting equipment to free the victim, while the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Disaster Management Centre assisted with the rescue operation.

Across Africa, similar incidents have claimed dozens of lives in recent months, with collapses in countries including Cameroon and Uganda raising concerns about ageing infrastructure, poor construction standards and the impact of severe weather. The cause of the Inanda collapse will be investigated once rescue operations have been completed.

Emergency teams remained on site, carefully removing debris as they searched for survivors.

Authorities have not confirmed the identities of those trapped or injured, nor have they announced any fatalities. The cause of the collapse also remains under investigation.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.