MTHATHA - Botha Sigcau Building in Mthatha is still cordoned off as it has been declared unsafe.
This comes after the prominent eleven-story building, essentially considered the engine room for service delivery in the Eastern Cape, was gutted by flames on Tuesday.
The Eastern Cape Department of Public Works, Infrastructure and Human Settlement on Thursday morning said technical teams, through the use of drones, assessed the state of the building to determine if there are any potential flare-ups.
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According to the department, preliminary reports suggest that the building would have cooled off by the end of the week.
This will make way for the first physical assessment of the damaged building.
Department of Public Works MEC Siphokazi Lusithi said they have established a provincial crisis response team that will, among other things, finalise plans for alternative workspace and other critical resources required to ensure the continuity of government business in the district.
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Lusithi said once the building is safe to access, authorities will conduct a detailed assessment on the extent of damage to determine interventions and plan for restoration of the building.
Emergency teams remain on the ground and continue to monitor the situation closely.