A fire in a multi-storey residential building in Johannesburg has killed more than 60 people and injured many. Apparently, many homeless people lived in the house. The fire has now been largely extinguished.
At least 63 people died in a major fire in a building in the center of the South African metropolis of Johannesburg. At least 43 other people were injured, said Robert Mulaudzi, spokesman for the local rescue service, on Platform X on Thursday morning. At least one child was among the dead.
Mulaudzi said the house was effectively a kind of unofficial shelter for homeless people who moved in there in search of a roof over their heads without a lease. “In my more than 20 years of service I have never encountered anything like this,” he continued. According to witnesses, up to 200 people could have lived in the house.
Search in the building is difficult
Search and rescue teams are still in action. The number of dead could still rise. The search in the building is difficult. According to witnesses, up to 200 people could have lived in the house.
According to Mulaudzi, the cause of the fire was initially unclear. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire. The building was evacuated. Television images showed fire engines and ambulances outside the red-and-white building with windows burned out.