Memorial service honours victims of Verulam building collapse amid ongoing investigations

A MEMORIAL service on Sunday paid tribute to five men who died when a four-storey building at the River Range Ranch collapsed in Redcliff, Verulam, in December. As families shared heartfelt memories of their loved ones, preliminary investigations revealed serious construction violations that led to the tragedy now classified as a crime scene.

Those remembered were temple founder Vick Panday, 52; Food For Love Africa cook, Vasudeva Datta Das, 65; Kishore Hurribhujan, 63, a farmer widely known for supplying free vegetables to help feed those in need; Jayaseelan “Jayce” Perumal, 58, an electrician; and Adbul Prabhus, a construction worker.

Tribute was also paid to to Ajit Manilall, 62, who was oxygen-dependent with severe heart problems. He died of a heart attack while trying to help at the collapsed building.

Family members, friends and community leaders reflected on their contributions and the profound loss felt across Verulam and beyond.

Ashmetha Singh, an account executive and the daughter of Vasudeva Datta Das, said the memorial was a fitting tribute to dad's lifelong dedication to serving others.

She said the memorial honoured her dad's contributions to serving the needy and the community. 

"This was a way to honour the incredible person he was, not just to our immediate family, but to the millions of poverty-stricken families who will dearly miss him,” said Singh. 

“To me, my dad was and still is my biggest hero. The hardest part is knowing my brother Atish, my husband Nishal, and our two children, Nikhil and Ayden, will never be able to hug my dad again or be that rock that held everyone together. The grandkids cry for their nana.”

She shared her dad's unfulfilled dream of rebuilding the family home, which was destroyed in a fire. 

Describing his journey, Singh recalled how her father began cooking meals for the hungry under a tree at the River Range Ranch, sometimes in the rain. 

“He showed that nothing was too hard to achieve. He started with almost nothing and ended up helping feed millions once the kitchen was built. He was hardworking, reliable, dedicated, and truly a selfless humanitarian.”

While Singh noted that her family did not personally know Kishore Hurribhujan, Jayaseelan Perumal, and Adbul Prabhus, she expressed sympathy to their loved ones. 

She said the shared grief had united families affected by the tragedy.

Devan Perumal, the son of Jayaseelan Perumal, was the Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) operations manager and paramedic that responded to a building collapse but instead discovered his father trapped under the rubble.

Perumal led the convoy of emergency vehicles to the scene and was ready to assist. However, on arrival, he found his father’s vehicle almost completely buried under layers of rubble. 

Perumal said his family was unable to attend the memorial as the "wounds were still very fresh", and they could not be near the site where his father died. 

"It did not feel right just yet," said Devan. 

He said the festive season without his dad was difficult. 

“It has been hard trying to understand why it had to happen this way. It has been especially hard for my sisters and the grandchildren because he was the person we relied on at any time. It was bad during December because it was also his birthday on December 30. We miss him a lot. He was our go-to when we needed someone." 

Devan referred to the investigation currently being at a "dead-end". 

“We have not received any updates with what is happening with the investigation, nor feedback from any departments involved in the investigation. We have also not received feedback from the owners of the temple, which is concerning. However, we are waiting patiently. 

“It has been hard. We miss him dearly and an important part of our life has been removed which is not easy to come to terms with. For me personally, not being able to save a loved one is the biggest burden I have to deal with,” said Devan. 

Investigation

The fatal building collapse took place on December 12 where a four-storey building at River Range Ranch gave way, leaving several people trapped under the rubble. 

Emergency crews arrived quickly, but the disaster sparked concerns about whether the structure was legally built and met safety standards. 

After the incident, Dean Macpherson, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, provided the outcomes of a preliminary investigation by the Council of the Built Environment (CBE).

He said the investigation found, among others, that there were concerns regarding the quality of construction, that the concrete used was friable, and that no building plans were submitted to authorities.

“Based on the information available at this point, the structure involved was a reinforced concrete multi-storey building under construction, comprising concrete columns, flat slabs, and masonry walls. The collapse occurred while concrete was being poured, with reports indicating that work was underway on the upper levels of the building at the time of the incident," said Macpherson at the time. 

“Preliminary evidence, including available video footage, points to a sudden structural failure, most likely triggered by a formwork or shuttering failure during the pumping of wet concrete. Such a failure can impose significant and abnormal dynamic loads on the floors below – loads that no building is structurally designed to withstand – resulting in a rapid and progressive collapse. 

"Early visual assessments have also raised serious concerns regarding the quality of construction, including indications of misaligned structural elements and potentially substandard materials." 

He said of particular concern were preliminary indications from the relevant authorities that no approved building plans were submitted, that no construction permits were issued, and that the building may have been occupied prior to the issuance of an occupation certificate, all of which would constitute serious contraventions of the National Building Regulations and Standards. 

Macpherson said the site had been formally classified as a crime scene.

Dr Msizi Myeza, the chief executive officer of the CBE, said the preliminary investigation included the following findings: 

- Contravention and non-compliance to legislation governing the built environment and construction. 

“We confirm that the structure was a four-storey reinforced concrete building, with concrete columns and flat slabs with masonry infill panels. Contravention of National Building Regulations and Building Standards, Municipal By-laws, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Spatial Land Use Management Act, and violation of health and safety. We conclude that the River Ranch Temple was unauthorised, unlawful and unsupervised, illegal.”

- Sub-standard material and construction methods.  

“The samples were subjected to concrete lab testing where the preliminary testing confirmed excessive voids in the concrete and a breach of standard concrete." 

- The formwork appears to have triggered the collapse of the building.

- The slabs appeared to be very thin, inadequately reinforced, and not very robust.

Myeza said the CBE would undertake a detailed investigative enquiry into the River Ranch Temple collapse through an integrated three-component approach consisting of technical investigation, governance and regulatory enquiry and an analysis of systemic and structural weaknesses, to inform practical recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents in future.

“A court of law working with law enforcement agencies would determine if negligence caused the deaths of five people and injuries to 11 others,” said Myeza. 

The eThekwini Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Directorate said the municipality had no further information to share since the investigations were now with the South African Police Service and the National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

Macpherson, KZN Public Works and Infrastructure, and the SAPS did not comment at the time of publication. 

The POST