A tragic incident unfolded overnight as a fire erupted in a Johannesburg apartment block inhabited by homeless individuals. Emergency evacuations were in progress as officials reported numerous casualties and injuries. At least 73 lives were lost, and 43 people sustained injuries, marking one of South Africa’s most devastating tragedies in recent memory.
The cause of the blaze, which ignited around 1:30 a.m. local time, remains under investigation. The building, a five-storey structure, continued to smolder at 10 a.m., with a significant portion charred by soot. Emergency services were present at the scene, while covered bodies lay on a nearby street, as observed by a Reuters journalist.
Colleen Makhubele, the speaker for the municipal government, indicated that the occupants may have been living there unlawfully. She expressed frustration that the city’s attempts to evict squatters from such premises had often been unsuccessful, contributing to incidents like this. She stressed the importance of citizens cooperating with the city’s laws and regulations to ensure safety.
While Makhubele did not confirm reports of the building’s derelict state and informal occupation, local broadcaster News24 had previously mentioned these details.
Johannesburg stands as one of the world’s most unequal cities, grappling with extensive poverty, unemployment, and a housing shortage. The province of Gauteng, encompassing South Africa’s largest city, estimates around 15,000 homeless individuals. The city is no stranger to fires, often caused by chronic power shortages leading to the use of candles and wood fires for lighting and warmth.p
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