Several people trapped after building collapses in South Africa

Johannesburg: Several people were trapped after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed in the South African city of George, a spokesperson for the municipal government said on Monday.

There were no immediate reports of fatalities, while 22 had been rescued from the site, said a spokesperson for the municipality of George, a coastal city east of Cape Town.

State-owned broadcaster SABC reported that more than 40 people were trapped under the rubble.

The Western Cape provincial government said it was monitoring the situation.

"At the moment, officials are focused on saving lives. This is our top priority at this stage," it said in a statement.

"A number of workers we believe are trapped inside... many more workers (are) down below," George Mayor Leon van Wyk told SABC from the site.

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