A fireplace tore by way of a constructing in downtown Johannesburg early Thursday morning, killing a minimum of 58 folks and injuring dozens of others, metropolis officers stated.
The authorities have been nonetheless making an attempt to find out what brought about the blaze, which consumed a five-story deserted constructing that had been overtaken by squatters and had grow to be a sprawling casual settlement.
Mgcini Tshwaku, a Johannesburg metropolis councilman who oversees public security, stated that when he arrived on the scene, the construction was in flames and other people have been leaping out of it. It is one among many dilapidated buildings within the metropolis the place folks with out locations to remain have taken up residence, Mr. Tshwaku stated in an interview on ENCA, a South African tv news station.
People typically mild fires inside these casual settlements to maintain heat, Mr. Tshwaku stated. Many deserted buildings within the metropolis have been taken over due to a scarcity of reasonably priced housing, he stated.
This is a creating story.
Source: www.nytimes.com