Rescue work was turning into a victim recovery effort after an apartment building collapsed in South Africa, trapping dozens of construction workers.

Three days after the collapse of a four-story building that was under construction, rescuers were still combing through some 3,000 tons of concrete rubble even as signs of life faded.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Relatives of 44 construction workers trapped under a collapsed building in the South African city of George faced a fourth day of anguished waiting on Thursday as heavy machinery worked at the site in a race against time to find any survivors.