At least 63 people have died in a fire in a multi-storey building in Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, emergency services have said. A toddler is among those killed.

Emergency Management Services said another 43 people were injured in the blaze, which broke out early on Thursday.

The building has been evacuated, and spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said a search and recovery operation was under way. It was likely the death toll would rise, he said, and it was not immediately clear what caused the blaze.

Inside the five-storey building was “an informal settlement”, Mulaudzi said. “So there [are] a lot of informal structures inside the building. There is a lot of debris which we have to remove.”

Authorities said the fire had been largely extinguished, but smoke still seeped out of the blackened building in downtown Johannesburg.

Television footage showed fire trucks and ambulances outside the red and white building with burned-out windows, which had been cordoned off by police.

The building was the fourth “older building” to catch alight in the city in recent months, local news organisation Times Live reported. Earlier in August, the top floor of a building in the suburb of Yeoville, near the central business district, caught alight, while in June, two children were killed in a fire in Hilbrow and in July, a fire broke out after an underground gas explosion.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thenationalnews.com/world/africa/2023/08/31/dozens-of-people-killed-in-johannesburg-apartment-blaze/%3foutputType=amp

At least... Suggestions for death

VIDEO:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=iGkACEhf1nk&si=CqaknD-MDXJJHWil

Death toll has risen to 63 with 43 others injured.

Sometimes, governments should just strictly enforce rules, and damm the consequences.

Anytime anyone of them informal settlements is demolished, there would be a long story about how we are letting the poor suffer and all that.

Well, this one was allowed to stand, with all the fire hazard inside.

What a lost

How can the world be sure this was not an arsonist attack? SA and jealously for other African brother is legendary

May At Least 52 Die In Johannesburg Building Firefavor me and my family

How can Africans be called illegal immigrants in another African country?

At least 52?

This is really sad. RIP to the dead

Sad


I have been trapped in a burning building once. I know how terrible this can be

Let's hope arson didn't play a part. I don't trust those Thebogo people.

High grade ritual?

see people lives been perished ..
God have mercy and forgive their sins

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This is so sad...
Not the kind of news I want to start my morning with.
I hope the government investigate the cause of this tragedy.

RIP to the departed.

finallybusy:
Let's hope arson didn't play a part. I don't trust those Thebogo people.

Who are the Thebogo people ?

A tribe in South Africa ?

Tell us !

May the Souls of all the Victims of this Fire incident rest in peace.

My deepest condolence to the families of the Victims and to the people and government of South Africa.

I feel your pain right from Nigeria.

May Almighty save us from lives tradegy.

This I pray in Jesus Mighty Name.

Amen.

Ring... ring...

(J’burg fire department)

Hello this is the Johannesburg fire department, what’s your emergency?

(Voice on phone)

There’s a fire going in a large residential building here. Hundreds of immigrants are trapped in the fire.

(J’burg fire department)

Did I hear you say immigrants?

(Voice on phone)

Yes. Zimbabweans and lots of other Africans.

(J’burg Fire department)

That’s not a fire emergency, that’s a barbecue going on. In any case the fire service is currently busy. We are here picking beans🙄

R.I.P to them

That fire was probably started by someone connected to the owner of the building in order to flush out the so called Zimbabweans com illegal immigrants hijacking the building.

wink2015:


Who are the Thebogo people ?

A tribe in South Africa ?

Tell us !

The sky is blue. Do you want any more facts?

Osanobua!!!!