Fire in South Africa's Johannesburg kills dozens, many homeless

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Fire in South Africa's Johannesburg kills dozens, many homeless
At least 63 people have been killed and more than 40 treated for injuries following a fire at a multistorey building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, local media and an emergency worker said.

According to international media report, Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the blaze on Thursday morning had gutted a building located in the city’s central business district, and the death toll was continuing to rise with 63 bodies recovered from the site so far.

“Latest update 63 bodies recovered and 43 injured,” Mulaudzi said in a post on social media. “Still continuing with search and recovery operation,” Mulaudzi said.

At least one child was among the dead, and those injured in the blaze are receiving treatment at “various health care facilities”, he said earlier.

Mulaudzi said the building was effectively an “informal settlement” where homeless people had moved into looking for accommodation without any formal lease agreements. He said that made it hard for rescue workers to search the building.

There might have been as many as 200 people living in the building, witnesses said.

The fire was largely extinguished, according to authorities, but smoke could be seen seeping from windows of the blackened building downtown.

Strings of sheets and other materials also hung out of some of the windows. It was not clear if people had used those to try and escape the fire or if they were trying to save their possessions.

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