At least 52 people have been killed in a fire that broke out early Thursday morning in a multi-storey building in Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city.
Firefighters work at the scene of a deadly blaze in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the early hours of Thursday. Photograph: Reuters
Emergency Management Services said another 43 people were injured in the blaze, which engulfed the five-storey building in the downtown area.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but authorities believe it may have started in an informal settlement on the ground floor of the building.
The building was home to a mix of residents, including families, students, and informal traders.
Rescue workers are still searching the building for survivors, but it is feared that many people may have been trapped inside.
The death toll is expected to rise as the search operation continues.
This is the fourth fire to break out in an older building in Johannesburg in recent months.
In June, two children were killed in a fire in the Hilbrow neighborhood.
In July, a fire broke out after an underground gas explosion in the city center.
The government has called for an investigation into the fires, which have raised concerns about the safety of older buildings in Johannesburg.
The city’s fire chief, Sipho Maseko, said the building where the fire broke out on Thursday had not been inspected for fire safety in recent years.
He said the building was “highly flammable” and that the fire spread quickly because of the presence of informal structures inside.
The fire is a tragedy for the families of those who have lost their lives, and it is a reminder of the importance of fire safety.
Residents of older buildings should be aware of the risks and take steps to protect themselves, such as having a fire escape plan and keeping fire extinguishers on hand.
The government also needs to take steps to improve fire safety standards in older buildings.
This is a preventable tragedy and we must do everything we can to prevent it from happening again.
