The causes of the fire are still unknown but the human losses are heavy. At least 52 people died and 43 injured in a fire that devastated a five-storey building in the center of Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday morning, we learned from the city’s emergency services.
It was not possible to immediately determine the cause of the start of the fire, underlined the spokesman of the emergency services, Robert Mulaudzi. “At this precise moment, we have around 20 people who have lost their lives and 43 injured,” he told AFP.
Fire under control
Firefighters brought the blaze under control, the building was evacuated and search operations for the victims were launched. Images of fire engines and ambulances circling the red-and-black building with blacked-out windows looped on local television channels.