Preliminary investigations by the South Africa’s (SA) City of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, have revealed that the building may have been erected without approved municipal plans.

Nine construction workers confirmed dead following the collapse of a two-storey warehouse structure under construction in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, in what authorities are increasingly describing as a preventable tragedy linked to regulatory non-compliance.

Authorities say this has raised serious concerns about the structural integrity of the development, with early assessments pointing to a poorly constructed slab and broader deficiencies, which rendered the building unsound.

Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour, Jomo Sibiya, who conducted an on-site inspection on Tuesday, has warned that any developer or contractor found to have violated occupational health and safety legislation will face decisive legal consequences.

–SABC–