BEIJING, Nov. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- South African rescue teams have worked into the night after an under construction shopping mall collapsed, killing at least one person and injuring nearly 30 others.

The accident happened Tuesday in the town of Tongaat, near the eastern coastal city of Durban. It is not yet clear what caused the three-storey building to pancake, although the Durban deputy mayor says local authorities tried to halt construction at the site, alongside a railway, a month ago.

"What we know as the City Council of Durban is that there were rules and regulations that were never followed in connection with this building," Durban Deputy Mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala said.

The identity of the builder is not immediately known. If safety regulations are found to have been flouted, the accident could hurt the ruling African National Congress as it moves towards an election next year.

According to a local emergency service, nearly 30 people have been taken to hospital in Tongaat with "massive traumatic injuries".

Police say dozens more are still trapped under the debris and sniffer dogs are combing the area for survivors. Large crowds of onlookers and anxious friends and relatives have gathered in the darkness behind a security cordon.

(Source: CNTV.cn)