It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which broke out last night.
Johannesburg:
More than 60 people died on Thursday in a fire that engulfed a five-storey building in the center of Johannesburg, the South African city’s emergency services said. Another 43 were injured, some of them suffering from smoke inhalation, and were taken to local hospitals for treatment, Emergency Management Services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said.
“We now have 63 fatalities and 43 injured who have been transported to different health care facilities,” said Mulaudzi.
Firefighters on site had extinguished the flames and search and recovery operations were underway.
“We are moving from floor to floor to recover these bodies,” Mulaudzi told local broadcaster ENCA.
An AFP reporter on the scene said emergency services continued to remove charred bodies from the building and place them under blankets and sheets in the street outside.
“It is indeed a sad day for the City of Johannesburg. After 20 years of service, I have never encountered anything like it,” said Mulaudzi.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which broke out last night.
The building, which has been evacuated, is in a deprived area of what was once the business district of South Africa’s economic hub, and was used as an informal settlement, Mulaudzi said.
“Many people” may have been trapped when the fire broke out, he added, suggesting many in the building may have been squatting illegally.
Fire trucks and ambulances were parked outside the red-and-white building with burnt-out windows, which has been cordoned off by police, as a small crowd of spectators gathered in the area.
The illegal occupation of disused downtown buildings is widespread, many of which are under the control of criminal syndicates who collect rent from the residents.
In June, a fire swept through a derelict building in Johannesburg and killed two children under the age of 10 trapped in an apartment.
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