Eight people were taken to hospital after a structural collapse at a building in Dr Pixley Isaka Seme Street in the Durban CBD on Thursday.

KwaZulu-Natal emergency medical services spokesperson Robert McKenzie said the roof of the building collapsed and a number of people were trapped inside. He said eight people were taken to hospital. In total, nine people were assessed by paramedics.

McKenzie said emergency services were still at the scene at 2pm, and were preparing to send rescue dogs into the building to check if there were any more victims inside.

He said the exact reason for the collapse was not yet known.

Rescue Care, which was on the scene, said everyone inside the two-storey building was accounted for after a second rescue dog was sent inside.