Recovery operations are under way in the Southern Cape town of George following a building collapse on Monday.

Workers are being freed from a collapsed building in George with help from law enforcement and the Gift of the Givers.

Just before 2.30pm on Monday, 6 May, the building collapsed. According to the George Herald, chaos erupted as onlookers tried to catch a glimpse of the event. Emergency services have been on scene, trying to rescue trapped workers.

Gift of the Givers teams have been dispatched to the building, which was under construction. The building is privately owned.

According to an update by the George municipality at 6pm, a construction crew of about 70 was on site. Thus far, 22 people have been retrieved and sent to hospitals throughout the province.

The Western Cape provincial government said Premier Alan Winde and his MECs were being briefed on the incident. "All the necessary support has been offered to emergency personnel to expedite their response. At the moment, officials are focused on saving lives. This is our top priority at this stage," said Winde.

The province would send personnel and emergency response support to assist with operations.

According to the George municipality, 53 emergency personnel are on their way from the City of Cape Town and Worcester Disaster Services. Chief...