At Least 20 People Injured As Balcony Collapses in Cape Town
At least 20 people were injured when the balcony of a restaurant in Cape Town collapsed, reports News24. The incident occurred at 102 Castle Street, which houses La Trip Club & Social and shares a building with The Athletic Club & Social. While there were no major injuries reported, patients were taken to nearby hospitals, including Groote Schuur, Christiaan Barnard, and New Somerset, as well as private clinics. By the time cleanup crews arrived, the street was quiet as all injured individuals had already been transported to hospitals.
Two Men Killed in Shooting at Vioolsdrift
Police are investigating a shooting in Vioolsdrift, Northern Cape, resulting in the deaths of a lawyer from Knysna and a farmer from Overberg, Western Cape, reports News24. The 59-year-old suspect, Jacob Dawid Malan Claassens, has appeared in court. The shooting occurred on October 30 at around 04:30am when the suspect, apparently mistaking the victims for burglars, admitted to shooting them. The victims, aged 54 and 56, succumbed to their injuries. The suspect is in custody pending a bail application on November 7, and the circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.
South Africans Overusing Asthma Reliever Pumps, Study Confirms
A new asthma study has found that over-reliance on the blue reliever pump is linked to an increased risk of asthma attacks and deaths in South Africa, reports TimesLIVE. The study, sponsored by AstraZeneca, and comprises a team of international experts, revealed that using the reliever pump three or more times a week is classified as overuse. Instead, experts recommend low-dose inhaled corticosteroid therapy as needed for better control of symptoms. Despite updated guidelines, many patients continue to overuse the blue inhaler, which can lead to an increased risk of asthma attacks and poor control. Professor Ismail Kalla, head of the internal medicine department and pulmonologist at Wits University, said the findings are concerning, as South Africa has the fifth highest asthma mortality rate in the world.
