Fire kills more than 70 in South Africa

The blaze swept through a large building in central Johannesburg

A fire engulfed a five-storey building in central Johannesburg overnight, killing dozens of people and leaving many more injured, officials in South Africa’s biggest city said on Thursday.

The latest update from local authorities put the death toll at 73, with 43 injured, some of them rescued from the burning structure. The survivors have been taken to nearby medical facilities.

Firefighters were alerted at around 1.30 a.m. local time, Robert Mulaudzi, a spokesman for the city’s emergency management services, told the media. The blaze has now been extinguished.

Mulaudzi warned that the number of fatalities could rise even further, as rescue workers search the burned-out site, from floor to floor.

@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

According to local media, the building was previously abandoned, but hundreds of people were living inside, explaining the high number of casualties.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, with officials declining to share any preliminary conclusions.