Members of the rescue team have been removed from the Algo Centre Mall because, said an on-site senior official, "the structure could fall at any time without notice."
During a news conference shortly after 5 this afternoon, Bill Needles, a spokesman from the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team, added that “the integrity of the building has [further] deteriorated.”
"The building is totally unsafe," he said.
Needles noted that "the staircase and escalator have separated from the building," adding to pressures on the weakened portion of the centre.
Responsibility for the situation now reverts to the municipality.
It's expected local authorities will arrange for the preparation of a demolition plan for approval by the Ministry of Labour.
The process would include removal of the deceased from the rubble.
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