At least 73 people died in a major fire in a building in the center of the South African metropolis of Johannesburg. At least 52 other people were injured, wrote Robert Mulaudzi, spokesman for the local rescue service, on Platform X. The rescue and recovery operation will therefore continue. The number of victims could continue to rise. Numerous covered bodies could be seen on the street near the building.
The fire broke out in a five-story building overnight. Dozens of residents have been evacuated, Mulaudzi said. It is unclear how many people were in the building at the time of the fire.
It was an illegally occupied building, Mgcini Tshwaku, a public security officer for the city of Johannesburg, told eNCA television. Since there is no power supply in such buildings, it is reasonable to assume that candles or a cooking fire could have caused the fire, Tshwaku said. However, no detailed investigation into the cause of the fire has yet been carried out.
The city center of Johannesburg is considered run-down and dangerous. Many years ago, companies and shops moved to surrounding districts due to the high crime rate in the city center. As a result, numerous buildings in the city center are empty, many of them occupied by homeless people. Property owners have long since stopped maintaining their properties where market and rent prices have plummeted.