South Africa: UPDATE - At Least 70 People Dead in Johannesburg Building Fire

@CityofJoburgZA / X
A screenshot of a City of Johannesburg post about the August 31, 2023 fire.
31 August 2023
allAfrica.com

Cape Town — At least 70 people died and 50 others were injured when a fire broke out at a five-storey building in the Johannesburg CBD on Thursday morning, News24 reports.

The fire is being described as one of the worst fires in recent history amid fears that the number of dead will increase as rescue workers search the remaining floors of the five-storey building.

More than 300 people were displaced by the fire, and a government official was quoted as saying on Twitter that they will be housed in another building owned by the City of Johannesburg.

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the fire that gutted the building at the corner of Albert and Delvers streets started around 01.30.

ENCA reports that at least 50 people are being treated for injuries and smoke inhalation.

The SABC reports that City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services Firefighters have evacuated the building.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2023 allAfrica.com. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.