As recovery operations continue at the New Ahobilam Temple of Protection in Verulam, a deeply personal tragedy has emerged involving one of the first responders, who discovered on arrival that his own father was trapped beneath the collapsed structure. Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) operations manager and paramedic Devan Perumal was one of the first responders at the scene of the four-storey structural collapse at River Range Ranch in Redcliffe last Friday. He led a convoy of emergency vehicles to the site and arrived within three minutes of receiving the call for urgent assistance.
On arrival, Perumal realised that his father, Jayseelan “Jayce” Perumal, was among those trapped when he noticed his father’s white Fiat Uno crushed beneath the collapsed structure. He was unaware at the time that his father, a self-employed electrician, had been assisting with electrical work on the extension when the collapse occurred. Despite the shock, Perumal continued working at the scene.
He later managed to make contact with his father by calling out to him and communicated with him for about an hour. During that time, Jayseelan Perumal told his son that he was pinned beneath concrete pillars and that both his legs were broken. Search and rescue operations continued through the weekend.
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Jayseelan Perumal’s body was recovered on Sunday morning, becoming the fifth fatality confirmed since the incident. His son remained on site for three days as rescue teams worked through the rubble. Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram said search efforts were continuing to determine whether anyone else remained trapped beneath the debris.
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