Loading player
In the night between Wednesday, a major fire broke out in a building in Johannesburg, the largest and most populous city in South Africa. At least 73 people died in the fire, and more than 50 were injured.
The mansion is five storeys high and stands at the junction of Albert Street and Delvers Street in Johannesburg’s financial district in the city centre. Local authorities said the building, owned by the city, was abandoned and had long been illegally occupied by homeless people (mostly migrants).
The fire started around 1:30 local time (the time zone is the same as the Italian one) and was only definitively extinguished during the morning. At the moment it is not known for sure what caused it and investigations are underway to find out.
It is estimated that at least 200 people were inside at the time of the fire, and it is possible that many are still trapped under the rubble. Several witnesses said that people lived in critical conditions in the building, with no running water and no electricity: according to a spokesman for the city government, it is possible that the fire was caused by a candle used to light up a room.