Fire In 5-Storey Building In Johannesburg, South Africa Leaves At Least 70 Squatters Dead.

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Photo credit: Reuters. Anxious spectators stand by waiting for news of friends or relatives who may have lost their lives in the fire.
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At least 70 people have been killed in a fire at a five-storey “hijacked” building used by homeless people in Johannesburg’s central business district, emergency services officials say.

The fire alarm was raised at 1:30am on Thursday (23:30 GMT on Wednesday).

The cause of the fire remains unknown and the death toll is expected to rise, according to authorities.

Firefighters evacuated several people from the building and the injured were treated on the scene or transported to hospitals.

 

The inner city neighbourhood is infamous for “hijacked” buildings, a term used in South Africa to refer to buildings illegally taken over by people struggling to find housing. Some of those who use the buildings include undocumented migrants, mostly from other African countries.

Mr Malaudzi told the BBC that the building had been abandoned previously, but homeless people had moved in looking for shelter during the current cold winter months.

He added that – since it was not a formal accommodation with a lease – the building was not properly looked after, and makeshift structures and debris had made it hard to search for and rescue people.

Lebogang Maile, the politician responsible for housing in the province said there was a chronic problem with housing in the area, and there were 1.2 million people looking for somewhere to live.

When asked whether his administration would take responsibility for the tragedy, the Mayor of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, said the government was dealing with the issue of cartels hijacking buildings which was taking place across the city.

The inner-city area, once a big business hub, is now home to many refugees and migrants from African countries.

The building is “one of those hijacked, abandoned buildings in the inner city”, Robert Mulaudzi, a spokesperson for Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Services, told local media.

The inner city neighbourhood is infamous for “hijacked” buildings, a term used in South Africa to refer to buildings illegally taken over by people struggling to find housing. Some of those who use the buildings include undocumented migrants, mostly from other African countries.

Mr Malaudzi told the BBC that the building had been abandoned previously, but homeless people had moved in looking for shelter during the current cold winter months.

He added that – since it was not a formal accommodation with a lease – the building was not properly looked after, and makeshift structures and debris had made it hard to search for and rescue people.

Lebogang Maile, the politician responsible for housing in the province said there was a chronic problem with housing in the area, and there were 1.2 million people looking for somewhere to live.

When asked whether his administration would take responsibility for the tragedy, the Mayor of Johannesburg, Kabelo Gwamanda, said the government was dealing with the issue of cartels hijacking buildings which was taking place across the city.

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