Two people have died and about 40 feared trapped after a roof collapsed at the construction site of a South African shopping mall.

Rescue teams are working to find those beneath the rubble at the site in Tongaat, north of Durban.

Crisis Medical, an emergency service provider in Durban, told newsmen that about 30 people had been taken to hospitals in the area.

Officials said those trapped were construction workers adding that so far there are two deaths while 30 others have already been transported to hospitals and about 40 others still trapped in the rubble.

Authorities have appealed to residents in the area to stay away from the scene so that rescue teams can work more quickly