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At Least 73 Dead After Fire At ‘Hijacked’ Building in Johannesburg, South Africa

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At least 73 people are dead and dozens more injured after a fire broke out at a five-story building in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday, officials said.
Firefighters responded to the building in the Marshalltown neighborhood of Johannesburg at around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, according to a statement from Robert Mulaudzi, a spokesperson for the city’s emergency services.
Mulaudzi said the structure was a “hijacked” building, occupied by people living in informal settlements. So-called hijacked buildings in downtown Johannesburg are abandoned by landlords and taken over by other groups, including gangs, who lease space to poor South Africans and migrants.
Firefighters evacuated all those able to be evacuated and extinguished the fire. At least 73 people were confirmed dead, and at least 43 injured were treated at the scene, with some transported to area healthcare facilities, Mulaudzi said.
Searches for survivors and recovery of the dead continued into Thursday.
Officials said it appeared the apartments in the building were well over safe occupancy. Asked at a press conference Thursday when the building was last inspected, officials said June 2019. City officials said a raid was conducted at the building in October of that year, after it had been “invaded,” and dozens of foreign nationals were arrested for illegally collecting rent.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
TMX contributed to this article.
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