Westville man killed in wall collapse during overnight heavy rains

ER24 emergency services say according to bystanders the man went outside towards the wall prior to the collapse. It is not clear if he had been there to inspect the wall.

The service's Werner Vermaak says another adult and two teenagers managed to pull themselves from under the wall.

"The man was pinned underneath and emergency services were called to the scene. When they arrived at the scene they found the man had no signs of life and initiated CPR but sadly could not revive him," he said.

"The exact cause of why the wall collapsed is not yet known but it is believed the structure may have been degraded to the heavy rains and flooding that happened in the area last night," Vermaak said.

Meanwhile Shoppers at the Pavilion were in for a surprise when the cinema level of the centre became flooded during last night's storm. Water seeped through and filled the passages, with some of the retail stores and restaurants forced to close their doors.

Some shoppers took their shoes off and waded through the puddles. While others were concerned about how the water got in, others used the opportunity to take selfies.

"We came out the movies and next minute we are swimming in the Pavilion. There is water everywhere," one shopper said.

"Some friends from Gauteng have come down and we are busy hosting them. We thought we would bring them down to Pavilion just to show them around Westville and it is quite a new experience to the Pavilion full of water," another added. 

One shopper also expressed concern at the flooding. 

"I think the situation is more serious because what we do not understand is that this is a new section of Pavilion so why is the building not protected? I feel sorry for the management because they will have to answer for a lot of the damage," he said. 

(Photos: Khatija Nxedlana)