• One person is confirmed dead while rescue teams race to save an unknown number of people buried under concrete.

• The building came down during a concrete pouring operation at the River Range Ranch in Verulam on Friday afternoon.

Desperate pleas for help are coming from beneath a pile of twisted metal and concrete.

A four-storey temple under construction has collapsed in Redcliffe, north of Durban.

The disaster struck just after midday on Friday.

Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) says survivors trapped deep inside the rubble have been sending voice notes begging to be rescued.

One person has already been confirmed dead.

Eight other construction workers were found outside the wreckage with mild to moderate injuries. However, it is feared that many more are buried alive.

The collapse happened at the River Range Ranch in Verulam while workers were pouring concrete.

The rescue operation is now a race against time.

Structural engineers and emergency teams have rushed to the scene. They have described the situation as “active and highly sensitive” as they try to reach the voices coming from below.

Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson says he is monitoring the crisis.

“My thoughts are with those who are trapped and the rescue personnel on scene,” Macpherson said, Citizen reported.

KwaZulu-Natal Cogta MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi confirmed that all available resources have been sent to the site.

“We are doing everything possible to reach those still trapped,” Buthelezi said.

Officials have asked the public to stay away from the area to let the emergency crews work.

The cause of the collapse is not yet known.

Pictured above: Reaction Unit members on the ground.

Image source: RUSA/Facebook