Over 20 People Die, 43 Injured In Joburg CBD Building Fire
More than 20 people have died and 43 other people were injured when a fire broke out in a hijacked residential building in Marshalltown, Johannesburg.
On Thursday morning, spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) Robert Mulaudzi said emergency services arrived at the scene after 1am.
“It is a very unfortunate situation which we had to respond to this morning at around 1.30am,” Mulaudzi said speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika at the scene.
“We were called to this five-storey building at the corner of Alberts and Delvers Street which is one of those hijacked buildings, abandoned buildings in the inner city,” he said.
“We started evacuating people inside the building, while conducting firefighting operations. In the process, we managed to recover about 20 bodies and about 43 people were treated for smoke inhalation and also some various injuries.”
Read Also: Another Disaster Awaits: Parts Of Joburg CBD Sealed As Fears Of Tunnel Collapse Loom
He said the majority were “walking patients”.
Earlier, City of Joburg wrote on X that a building was on fire in the Joburg CBD. At the time, the city said at least ten had been confirmed dead while multiple patients were being treated.
Other injured people were transported to various healthcare facilities in and around Joburg.
The cause of the fire had not been established.
This is a developing story.
IOL
