A massive fire, which broke out in a multi-story building in South Africa’s biggest city Johannesburg, claimed at least 64 lives, emergency services said on Thursday (August 31).
Another 43 people were injured in the blaze that broke out in the predawn hours, an Associated Press report quoted Emergency Services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi as saying. He also added that the death toll might still increase.
Search and rescue operation underway
Spokesman Robert Mulaudzi that a search and rescue operation was underway. Firefighters were moving through the building, Mulaudzi said. The team had pulled 64 bodies out so far, Mulaudzi said, adding that more people might be trapped inside.
The authorities also informed that at least one child was among the dead. As per the latest report, the fire had been largely extinguished, but smoke still seeped out of windows of the blackened building downtown.
The Emergency Services spokesman also informed that the 5-storey building was effectively an “informal settlement” in which homeless people had moved in looking for accommodation without any formal lease agreements, adding that this makes it hard to search the building.
There might have been as many as 200 people living in the building, witnesses said.
(With inputs from AP)