By Taonga Sabola and Rebecca Chimjeka:
At least 20 Malawians were among the 74 people who died when a five-storey building caught fire in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the wee hours of Thursday, South Africa media outlet eNCA reported.
Malawi’s High Commissioner to South Africa Stella Ndau also confirmed the development.
She said those affected were staying in Johannesburg’s Inner City, Corner Alberts and Delvers and were affected in the early hours of Thursday.
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According to Ndau, more Malawians and people of other nationalities have been left destitute.
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“I can confirm that, for now, it’s 20 dead, with many destitute,” Ndau said.
Meanwhile, a press statement signed by City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi has indicated that City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services firefighters responded to the fire.
“On arrival, firefighters started to evacuate all the people out of the building while conducting firefighting operations; 10 people were confirmed dead on scene, and 42 people were treated on scene and later transported to various healthcare facilities for further medical care,” Mulaudzi said
He added that they are investigating the cause of the fire.
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He has since disclosed that officials from the City of Johannesburg Disaster Management have been activated to start facilitating the provision of relief services for affected families
And, earlier yesterday, Malawi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson John Kabaghe urged Malawians living abroad, or those wishing to live abroad, to ensure that they register with Malawi’s diplomatic missions around the world in case of times of crises or calamities such as these
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited the scene Thursday evening, described the deadly fire in Johannesburg’s inner city as “a wake-up call” for South Africa.
According to the BBC, the 74 who died included 12 children who were among the occupants of the building, which was being occupied by homeless people.
Earlier, BBC reported that the City of Johannesburg confirmed that it owned the building, but said cartels had taken it over. Officials say the cause of the deadly fire is unclear.
The building used to be home to abused women and children but, once the lease expired, it was “hijacked”, President Ramaphosa explained to reporters.
Many properties around the area where the blaze happened have been deemed unfit to live in.
