A devastating fire erupted in the central business district of Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, resulting in a tragic loss of life. The municipal government reported that the incident claimed the lives of a minimum of 63 individuals and caused injuries to 43 others on Thursday.The city administration, using the platform X (formerly Twitter), communicated that dedicated search and rescue operations were underway to address the situation. Their priority remains on saving lives and providing support to those affected by this catastrophe.
Confirming the toll, the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services verified that the number of fatalities has risen to 63, Reuters reported. Responding swiftly to the crisis, firefighters and emergency response teams were promptly dispatched to the scene. Heart-wrenching visuals captured by Reuters photographers depicted lifeless bodies covered in emergency blankets, lying on a street adjacent to the site of the fire that broke out during the early hours of the morning.According to media reports, the fire consumed a five-storey building that had been abandoned at some point but had become a dwelling place for homeless individuals.The precise cause of the fire remains shrouded in uncertainty, leaving investigators and authorities with the task of unravelling the chain of events that led to this catastrophic incident.