Death Toll Could Increase as Fire Devastates Multistory Building in Downtown Business District, Emergency Services Report
Over 52 people have lost their lives following a fire in a building in Johannesburg. Around 40 additional people are hurt. Authorities in Johannesburg have mentioned that they are not sure what caused the fire in the five-story building downtown. A representative from the emergency services, Robert Mulaudzi, informed the BBC that firefighters managed to rescue some of the people living there. The building was severely damaged by the fire, and efforts are ongoing to find more people who might have been affected.
A video was shared on the platform X (formerly known as Twitter) by Mr. Mulaudzi. It showed fire trucks and ambulances near the building, which had windows burned out. Pictures from the scene displayed covered bodies lined up close to the burnt structure.
The building used to be in a business area in South Africa’s main economic city. However, it was being used as a place where people lived without official permission, as mentioned by Mr. Mulaudzi.
According to local reports, the neighborhood in the inner city is known for “hijacked” buildings. This means that undocumented migrants took over these buildings illegally. The people in the affected building were mostly migrants who had come from other African countries.
Following the fire, many South Africans on social media have criticized the hateful online attacks against the victims and survivors of the fire, which seem to stem from xenophobia.
The reason for the fire is still not understood, as reported by South Africa’s News24 online news site.
Even though the fire has been mostly put out, smoke is still coming out of the windows of the building that got very dark from the fire.
Some pieces of fabric and other materials were hanging out of a few windows. It’s not sure if people used these to try to get away from the fire or if they were trying to rescue their belongings.