A fire that broke out in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Johannesburg overnight on Wednesday has resulted in at least 73 deaths and 52 injuries, according to the spokesperson for emergency services.
At least 73 people died on Thursday, August 31, in a fire that devastated a four-story building in central Johannesburg, South Africa, according to the city’s emergency services.
In addition, 52 people suffered minor injuries, according to the spokesperson for emergency services, Robert Mulaudzi, in statements to a local television channel. The injured, some of whom inhaled smoke, were taken to hospitals for treatment, he added.
The fire, which broke out overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, has been extinguished, and firefighters were searching for any other potential victims on Thursday morning. “We are progressing floor by floor” in this search, explained Robert Mulaudzi to the ENCA channel.
Rescuers were removing charred bodies from the building and laying them on the street under sheets or blankets, observed an AFP journalist at the scene.
“I have never encountered anything like this”
The cause of the tragedy was not yet known. The police, present at the scene, cordoned off the building, in front of which ambulances and fire trucks were stationed.
“It is a sad day for the city of Johannesburg… In over 20 years of service, I have never encountered anything like this,” emphasized Robert Mulaudzi.
The building, a red brick and white structure with burnt windows according to television images, is located in a disadvantaged area of the former business district in South Africa’s economic center. The residents had settled there informally, according to the spokesperson.
“Many people” may have been trapped inside when the fire broke out, he estimated.
With AFP