Two more casualties have been confirmed, raising the number of death tolls in the Johannesburg fire to 76. Meanwhile relatives continue to search for the bodies of their loved ones in mortuaries having been burnt beyond recognition…
Families have been searching morgues to identify the bodies of their loved ones in Johannesburg, South Africa, after one of the biggest building fires in several years.
The fire killed at least 76 people, including 12 children.Many of the victims are believed to be undocumented migrants who have been striving to sustain themselves.
Earlier on Friday, firemen returned to the building caught in the fire to see whether they could find additional bodies.
Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, forensic experts have been on the scene, combing through remains of the burned-out house.
The government has offered assistance to all victims, but many of them are in a precarious situation because they are in South Africa without formal documents. Some are afraid that speaking up may expose them to the authorities.
While visiting the scene in central Johannesburg on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa called the fire incident a “wake-up call for us to begin to address the situation of housing in the inner city”.
President Ramaphosa added that the building used to be a home for abused women and children, but was “hijacked” after lease expired.
The United Nations and other members of the international community have sent their condolences to South Africa.
Household fires are widespread in Johannesburg, particularly in poor communities. Alexandra, one of the poorest area has had hundreds of homes destroyed in various fires over the last five years.
By xamse
September 2, 2023
