Death toll of S. Africa's Johannesburg building fire rises to 63
A firefighter works at the scene of a deadly blaze in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 31, 2023.
A total of 63 people were killed and more than 43 others injured on Thursday morning when the building they were occupying in the city center caught fire, an official said on Thursday.
Robert Mulaudzi, spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, said they were informed that the five-storey building was on fire at around 1:30am on Thursday (11:30pm GMT Wednesday).
"On arrival, firefighters started to evacuate all the people out of the building while conducting firefighting operations, and 10 people were confirmed dead on the scene, and the injured were transported to various health care facilities for further medical care," Mulaudzi said.
The exact cause of the blaze is still under investigation, he said, adding that officials from the City of Johannesburg Disaster Management have been activated to start facilitating relief for affected families.
