Overnight, a devastating fire tore through a five-story apartment block in a poverty-stricken area of Johannesburg, resulting in the tragic loss of more than 70 lives. Officials have raised concerns that some of the victims may have been renting rooms from criminal gangs.
The municipal-owned building, still smoldering at noon, presented a grim scene with parts of it charred by soot. Emergency services surrounded the area while covered bodies lay on the nearby street. Leo, a survivor of the blaze, described the chaotic escape amidst darkness and dense smoke.
Firefighters and healthcare professionals are deployed at the scene after fire at a five-story building in South Africa’s Johannesburg city on Aug. 31, 2023.
Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Tragically, one person reportedly jumped from the fourth floor of the building in an attempt to escape the flames. Thando le Nkosi Manzini, a witness to the fire, recounted this horrifying sight.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m., claiming the lives of at least 73 individuals and injuring 43 others. Johannesburg authorities initially believed the building was occupied by squatters. However, Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda clarified that the property was owned by the municipal authorities and intended for use by a charity assisting displaced women, though it had been repurposed for other means.
A firefighter extinguishes a fire in an apartment block in Johannesburg on Aug. 31, 2023.
Michele Spatari/AFP
Lebogang Isaac Maile, the head of the Human Settlements department for Gauteng province, disclosed that some of the victims may have been illegally renting from criminal gangs who collected fees for the use of these buildings. He emphasized the exploitation of vulnerable individuals by these criminal organizations.
APARTHEID HERITAGE BUILDING
A sign at the entrance of the gutted building revealed its historical significance as a relic of South Africa’s apartheid era. It served as a location where black South Africans would collect their “dompass,” which allowed them to work in white-owned areas of the city.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. Johannesburg is known for its extreme inequality, with widespread poverty, unemployment, and a housing crisis. The provincial government estimates approximately 15,000 individuals are homeless in Gauteng province.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
