Three people have been confirmed dead, and several others are still trapped after a building collapsed in the South African city of George.

According to a statement released on Tuesday by the municipality of George, a seaside township east of Cape Town, Twenty-four individuals were evacuated from the site and sent to hospitals.

PHOTO | COURTESY the collapsed building

According to a statement from George, 51 persons remained stranded.

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"Seventy-five members of construction crew have been confirmed on site at that time of the incident," Western Cape premier Alan Winde said earlier.

CCTV footage acquired by Reuters captured a cloud of dust as the building collapsed on Monday afternoon.

PHOTO | COURTESY  the collapsed building

"I saw one guy was working and then 'boom' and I saw the whole building collapsed... I'm also traumatised. It is very sad," Theresa Jeyi, a local councilor, told reporters at the scene.

According to the provincial administration, police and rescue teams with sniffer dogs were on the scene.

Rescue professionals on site were attempting to recollect where they heard people's pleas, according to George Mayor Leon van Wyk, while rescue equipment was on its way.

"This is going to be a really lengthy exercise and probably going to go right through the night," he said.