At least 73 dead in a building fire in South Africa

At least 73 people died in the fire that broke out early Thursday morning in a building in the South African city of johannesburg (north), reported the authorities, who have not yet established the causes of the fire.

“The latest update is 73 dead and 52 injured. The search and recovery operation is still continuing.” of victims, said the spokesman for the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, Robert Mulaudzi, on his account of the social network X (formerly Twitter).

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Previously, Mulaudzi explained to local media that the firefighters were alerted to the fire in the district of marshalltown around 01:30 local time (23:30 GMT on Wednesday) and that, among the deceased, is “a child who could be between one and two years old”.

@CityofJoburgEMS Firefighters are currently attending to a building on fire in @CityofJoburgZA CBD corner Delvers, Alberts street at this stage 10 people confirmed dead and multiple patients treated on scene transported to various health care facilities for further medical care pic.twitter.com/20b6NXaHvF

— Cojems Spokesperson (@RobertMulaudzi) August 31, 2023

“It is a five-story building that caught fire in the early hours of Thursday. We managed to evacuate the people inside as soon as we arrived, while we were carrying out firefighting operations.”detailed the spokesman.

However, Mulaudzi warned that the death toll may rise because “on each floor there is an informal settlement”and the people that rescue services were trying to evacuate “they got trapped by the structures between the floors”.

“We have informed the people who are on the scene looking for their relatives that the chances of finding them alive are very slim.”lamented the spokesman.

A South African firefighter walks past fire trucks at the site of a fire in Johannesburg on August 31, 2023. More than 60 people died in a fire that ripped through a five-story building in downtown Johannesburg on August 31, 2023, the South African newspaper reported. said the city’s emergency services. (Photo: Michele Spatari / AFP) (MICHELE SPATARI /)

The injured were taken to the hospital, including some suffering minor injuries and others inhaling smoke.

According to Mulaudzi, the fire has already been contained but the “shutdown operations” in the Albert Streetwhere the property is located and there are rows of fire trucks and ambulances.

He Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamandawho went to the scene of the accident, confirmed in statements collected by local media that the building is owned by the city, it was leased to a NGO and it’s called Usindiso Homeless Shelter.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Graphic Content / Members of the forensic department move bodies at the scene of a fire in Johannesburg on August 31, 2023. More than 70 people died in a fire that tore through a five-story building in downtown Johannesburg on August 31. August 2023. 2023, the South African city’s emergency services said. (Photo: Guillem SARTORIO / AFP) (GUILLEM SARTORIO /)

This is the third building fire in Johannesburg in recent months, according to South African media reports, after two minors died in another incident in June.

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Source: Elcomercio