South Africa: India-origin man among 4 killed in temple collapse; illegal construction cited

An Indian origin man was among four people killed after a four-storey under-construction Hindu temple collapsed in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, officials said on Sunday.

Two people, a construction worker and a devotee, were confirmed dead on Friday. The death toll rose to four on Saturday after rescue teams recovered additional bodies from the debris.

One of the four victims has been identified as Vickey Jairaj Panday, 52, an executive member of the temple trust and the manager of the construction project, local media reported, citing officials.

Reports said Panday had been closely involved in the temple’s development since it began nearly two years ago. His death was also confirmed by Sanvir Maharaj, director of Food for Love, a charity affiliated with the temple, as cited by PTI.




The eThekwini municipality said in a statement that no building plans had been approved for the project, indicating that the construction was illegal.

The incident occurred on Friday at the New Ahobilam Temple of Protection, located on a steep hill in Redcliffe, north of eThekwini, formerly Durban, while the structure was being expanded and workers were present at the site.

The number of workers and temple officials possibly trapped under the rubble remains unclear.

Rescue teams suspended operations on Saturday afternoon due to inclement weather after working for two days to recover a fifth body that had been located, Reaction Unit South Africa spokesperson Prem Balram told local media.

“At this stage, it cannot be confirmed whether additional individuals remain trapped beneath the rubble,” Balram was quoted as saying by PTI.

The temple, designed to resemble a cave, was being built using rocks brought from India and excavated at the site. The family overseeing the project had said it was intended to house one of the world’s largest deities of Lord Nrsimhadeva.

Officials said initial rescue efforts were guided by cellphone calls from one of the trapped individuals, but communication ended late on Friday evening.

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Thulasizwe Buthelezi visited the site on Saturday and said rescue operations would continue for as long as required, despite experts indicating that the chances of finding additional survivors were slim.

He also thanked the government and private teams involved in the effort, including a specialised dog unit from the Western Cape.