More than 70 dead after deadly blaze engulfs apartment block housing homeless people in Johannesburg
31 August 2023, 08:13 | Updated: 31 August 2023, 10:37
At least 73 people have died after a fire broke out in a multi-storey building in Johannesburg, South African authorities have said.
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The fire broke out in a five-storey building, believed to have been used by homeless people, in the city centre in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Johnnesburg officials have said the cause of the blaze has not yet been established.
At least 63 have died in the fire, including seven child, and more than 50 others have been injured - however experts have warned the death toll is likely to rise.
A search-and-recovery operation has been launched, emergency services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said.
Authorities said the fire has been largely extinguished but smoke is still seeping out of the building.
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It is thought as many as 200 people may have been living in the building, which Mr Mulaudzi said was effectively an “informal settlement” for homeless people looking for accommodation without any formal lease agreements.
Local reports have suggested the occupants were mostly migrants from other African countries.
He said the nature of the building made it hard to carry out the search, adding: “Over 20 years in the service, I've never come across something like this.”
Emergency services are “moving floor by floor” as they carry out the recovery operation.
Photos shared of the scene showed covered bodies lined up near the blackened building.
Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr Kabelo Gwamanda, will attend the scene at around 09:30 local time this morning.
The blaze marks the third time a fire has broken out in one of Johnnesburg’s older buildings in the few months.
A fire in Hillbrow killed two young children in June, followed by a blaze earlier this month in Yeoville.
