A third person has died after Wednesday’s scaffolding collapse across the M1 highway, according to Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau.

The scaffolding of a pedestrian bridge which was under construction over the highway collapsed yesterday afternoon trapping cars, killing 2 and injuring more than 20 people.

Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau told EWN this morning that they have received confirmation of the third death.

“We will go to the hospital and interact with the doctors but that’s the information we received this morning.”

He says several parallel investigations have been launched.

“We’ve got our own engineers whom we appointed last night to come to the site and do an independent investigation.”

Meanwhile, Murray and Roberts, the company responsible for the collapse, has representatives at the scene of the fatal accident for an inspection.

Three quarters of the collapsed scaffolding is still obstructing both sides of the highway near Grayston Drive.

Workers are using heavy machinery to remove the collapsed structure.

-EWN (Mia Lindeque & Aki Anastasiou)