Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has asked South Africans to pray for the families of those who died in the George building collapse.
Speaking to journalists after a presidential imbizo in the Northern Cape on Thursday, Ntshavheni said the government was ready to assist the Western Cape provincial government with the disaster.
"As a country, this is a real devastation. We hope that the numbers don't go that high, and we know that some are critical [in hospital]. We pray for them, and we call on the country to pray for their speedy recovery, and to be with the doctors who are treating them, to give them the best care."