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8 September 2023
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77 people, many of them children, perished in Johannesburg CBD five storey structural fire, 88 injured
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On Thursday, 31 August 2023 at around 01h30am, a fire engulfed an illegally occupied abandoned five storey building in Johannesburg CBD, South Africa; 77 people were killed and 88 others were injured. It was one of the deadliest fires in South African history.
The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services’ firefighters responded to the five storey building on fire in Johannesburg inner city at the corner of Alberts and Delvers streets at around 01h30 on Thursday, 31 August 2023. On arrival, firefighters started to evacuate the people out of the building while conducting firefighting operations.
The fire ripped through the building, with eyewitnesses detailing how they watched people jump to safety from various floors.
Spokesperson for Emergency Management Services, Robert Mulaudzi, told the media the fire spread rapidly because of the flammable structures inside the building.
The statement by the city manager of Johannesburg, Floyd Brink, on the building fire in the CBD of Johannesburg, stated, “The City of Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) responded to a fire alert at the Usindiso Building, located at 80 Alberts Street in Marshalltown, Johannesburg. Sadly, our firefighters received their first alert at 01h19 and the first responders were on the scene at 01h29. From EMS, the City’s fire department rapidly deployed the following equipment: two fire engines, one industrial pumper, one heavy rescue vehicle, one air truck, two level two incident command units, one Bronto aerial platform, one ladder truck, 43 firefighters and fourteen officers.”
“This is in line with the South African National Standards on Community Fire Safety requirements for a building of this nature, which is a five storey building that is defined as high rise building”, he added.
“The Gauteng Provincial Health Emergency Management Services also attended to the scene and began the process to assess, stabilise, treat and transport the injured from the incident. At this stage, we can confirm that as of 14h00 this afternoon, 61 people were treated at various medical facilities in and around the City; 16 have been discharged and 17 remain admitted at this stage with the rest still receiving care at the casualty units. These patients are receiving medical care at the following facilities: Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, Helen Joseph Hospital, South Rand Hospital and Tembisa Hospital”, added Brink.
“Tragically, we can now confirm that we have a total of 74 fatalities; 67 adults and seven children. Let me at this stage express our condolences to the families of the deceased and hasten to add that all efforts are being put in place to provide the families and all affected with the relevant social and psychological support through the City’s Disaster Management and Social Development department. Our Social Development department has deployed 16 social workers to provide assessment, trauma counselling and Psychosocial support”, said Brink.
“The City of Johannesburg Disaster Management is working with the Human Settlements Department to coordinate emergency accommodation for survivors and the affected. At this stage, three sites have been identified wherein the affected will be accommodated whilst the rescue operations and investigations at the building continue. The three sites are namely Hofland Recreation Centre in Bez Valley, Ekhaya shelter in Hillbrow and Impilo shelter in Fairview/Jeppestown. After 72 hours the Human Settlements Department will advise on where they will be taken to once all logistics and related verifications have been finalised.”
“At this stage, we believe a total of 200 or more families were resident at the building. I wish to also confirm that the affected building belongs to the City of Johannesburg. It is a building that was previously leased to the provincial Social Development Department and used as a shelter for abused women. At the conclusion of the lease, some challenges were encountered with the occupants and as a result of the hostilities and stalemate, the building was invaded and hijacked. In October 2019, the City through its Group Forensics and Investigation Services raided the building and as part of the operation realised the arrest of over 140 foreign nationals by Home Affairs and a suspect was incarcerated and charged for illegally collecting rental from tenants at the building. The case is with SAPS and no update is immediately available at this stage.”
“Fire Safety has commenced with investigations into the cause of the fire and has been part of the rescue operation from the morning. There are at this stage no preliminary reports.”
Many residents jumped from the windows of the building to escape, some of whom did not survive the jump. Firefighters found bodies piled up where they had died at a locked gate on the ground floor while trying to exit the burning building.
The building was gutted, blackened by soot and still smouldering on Thursday as emergency services gathered around it and bodies lay covered in blankets on a nearby street.
Two people who lived in the building described how they and others escaped. One man tells how his niece was thrown from the building and caught by people below.
A firefighter at the scene said many shack-like structures had been erected inside, making things even more combustible. People tend to cook on paraffin stoves and during the cold winter months ie June to September; fires are often lit in large metal drums with wood and other scavenged items thrown in for fuel.
The death toll reach 77 as three more people succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
DNA testing needed
It was initially reported 10 bodies were unidentifiable and burnt beyond recognition. This figure was revised at a briefing by the department on Friday, 1 September 2023. Acting CEO for Gauteng forensic pathology services Thembalethu Mpahlaza said, “We can confirm we managed to admit 74 bodies and they will be subjected to the Lodox System, which is an X-ray imaging device. We have to ascertain if there were gunshot wounds before they were burnt,” he said.
Mpahlaza said the DNA process started on Thursday evening but was delayed due to load-shedding. Once the process started, the forensic team realised “only 12 bodies can be viewed”. “The remaining bodies have been burnt beyond recognition, hence it will take a while to finalise the process of harvesting DNA samples,” he said. Mpahlaza confirmed 13 unidentifiable bodies were in Soweto and the rest were at the Hillbrow mortuary and set to be transferred to Diepkloof.
The department confirmed Police would carry out the DNA testing.
The Gauteng Health Department has provided a hotline number to assist family members who want to find their loved ones who are either hospitalised or deceased. Toll-free number: 0800 203 886 Direct line: 011 355 3048 /011 241 5707.
Investigation
The structural integrity of the Usindiso Building has been compromised by the fire. For everyone's safety, including affected occupants who are looking to retrieve their belongings, the building cannot be accessed at the moment as it is unsafe. The building has been sealed, with police patrols for additional security.
No further investigations can take place until the City’s engineers have deemed the structure safe.
South African Local Government Association (SALGA)
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) called for collective action and responsibility from officials in supporting victims, their families and survivors.
SALGA chairperson Ronald Nkosi said officials must prevent such incidents in future. "While the cause of the fire needs to be investigated, we do know that the circumstances leading to this tragedy are rooted in multifaceted challenges at various levels," said Nkosi.
"The complex issues of rapid urbanisation, and the need for housing on the one hand. Unscrupulous individuals who take advantage of desperate vulnerable people making them live in high-risk buildings and land illegally. It is essential to strengthen our country's laws and municipal by-laws relating to security of tenure, especially for the poor and vulnerable while also preventing them from unlawfully occupying land and premises."
President hopes investigation prevents future incidents
"This is a great tragedy felt by families whose loved ones perished in this terrible manner," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in televised remarks. I do hope that the investigations into the fire will... prevent a repeat of such a tragedy."
As Ramaphosa visited the site in the evening, cries of despair from relatives of the victims filled the air. "It's a wake-up call for us to begin to address the situation of housing in the inner city," he said.
History
The building, 80 Albert Street, was built in 1954 as the head office of Johannesburg's Non-European Affairs Department, serving as a Pass Office for enforcing pass laws controlling the movement of black people into Johannesburg under the apartheid system. From 1994, the building housed a women's shelter later called the Usindiso Women's Shelter. In 2019, a clinic housed in the building was relocated by the member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Health and Social Development, Mpho Phalatse, as the building was occupied by squatters and found to be unsafe. The building is marked with a heritage plaque narrating its history.
Sources: City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services Communications Unit, SBS News, TimesLive, EWN, News 24, CNN
The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services’ firefighters responded to the five storey building on fire in Johannesburg inner city at the corner of Alberts and Delvers streets at around 01h30 on Thursday, 31 August 2023. On arrival, firefighters started to evacuate the people out of the building while conducting firefighting operations.
The fire ripped through the building, with eyewitnesses detailing how they watched people jump to safety from various floors.
Spokesperson for Emergency Management Services, Robert Mulaudzi, told the media the fire spread rapidly because of the flammable structures inside the building.
The statement by the city manager of Johannesburg, Floyd Brink, on the building fire in the CBD of Johannesburg, stated, “The City of Johannesburg’s Emergency Management Services (EMS) responded to a fire alert at the Usindiso Building, located at 80 Alberts Street in Marshalltown, Johannesburg. Sadly, our firefighters received their first alert at 01h19 and the first responders were on the scene at 01h29. From EMS, the City’s fire department rapidly deployed the following equipment: two fire engines, one industrial pumper, one heavy rescue vehicle, one air truck, two level two incident command units, one Bronto aerial platform, one ladder truck, 43 firefighters and fourteen officers.”
“This is in line with the South African National Standards on Community Fire Safety requirements for a building of this nature, which is a five storey building that is defined as high rise building”, he added.
“The Gauteng Provincial Health Emergency Management Services also attended to the scene and began the process to assess, stabilise, treat and transport the injured from the incident. At this stage, we can confirm that as of 14h00 this afternoon, 61 people were treated at various medical facilities in and around the City; 16 have been discharged and 17 remain admitted at this stage with the rest still receiving care at the casualty units. These patients are receiving medical care at the following facilities: Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, Helen Joseph Hospital, South Rand Hospital and Tembisa Hospital”, added Brink.
“Tragically, we can now confirm that we have a total of 74 fatalities; 67 adults and seven children. Let me at this stage express our condolences to the families of the deceased and hasten to add that all efforts are being put in place to provide the families and all affected with the relevant social and psychological support through the City’s Disaster Management and Social Development department. Our Social Development department has deployed 16 social workers to provide assessment, trauma counselling and Psychosocial support”, said Brink.
“The City of Johannesburg Disaster Management is working with the Human Settlements Department to coordinate emergency accommodation for survivors and the affected. At this stage, three sites have been identified wherein the affected will be accommodated whilst the rescue operations and investigations at the building continue. The three sites are namely Hofland Recreation Centre in Bez Valley, Ekhaya shelter in Hillbrow and Impilo shelter in Fairview/Jeppestown. After 72 hours the Human Settlements Department will advise on where they will be taken to once all logistics and related verifications have been finalised.”
“At this stage, we believe a total of 200 or more families were resident at the building. I wish to also confirm that the affected building belongs to the City of Johannesburg. It is a building that was previously leased to the provincial Social Development Department and used as a shelter for abused women. At the conclusion of the lease, some challenges were encountered with the occupants and as a result of the hostilities and stalemate, the building was invaded and hijacked. In October 2019, the City through its Group Forensics and Investigation Services raided the building and as part of the operation realised the arrest of over 140 foreign nationals by Home Affairs and a suspect was incarcerated and charged for illegally collecting rental from tenants at the building. The case is with SAPS and no update is immediately available at this stage.”
“Fire Safety has commenced with investigations into the cause of the fire and has been part of the rescue operation from the morning. There are at this stage no preliminary reports.”
Many residents jumped from the windows of the building to escape, some of whom did not survive the jump. Firefighters found bodies piled up where they had died at a locked gate on the ground floor while trying to exit the burning building.
The building was gutted, blackened by soot and still smouldering on Thursday as emergency services gathered around it and bodies lay covered in blankets on a nearby street.
Two people who lived in the building described how they and others escaped. One man tells how his niece was thrown from the building and caught by people below.
A firefighter at the scene said many shack-like structures had been erected inside, making things even more combustible. People tend to cook on paraffin stoves and during the cold winter months ie June to September; fires are often lit in large metal drums with wood and other scavenged items thrown in for fuel.
The death toll reach 77 as three more people succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
DNA testing needed
It was initially reported 10 bodies were unidentifiable and burnt beyond recognition. This figure was revised at a briefing by the department on Friday, 1 September 2023. Acting CEO for Gauteng forensic pathology services Thembalethu Mpahlaza said, “We can confirm we managed to admit 74 bodies and they will be subjected to the Lodox System, which is an X-ray imaging device. We have to ascertain if there were gunshot wounds before they were burnt,” he said.
Mpahlaza said the DNA process started on Thursday evening but was delayed due to load-shedding. Once the process started, the forensic team realised “only 12 bodies can be viewed”. “The remaining bodies have been burnt beyond recognition, hence it will take a while to finalise the process of harvesting DNA samples,” he said. Mpahlaza confirmed 13 unidentifiable bodies were in Soweto and the rest were at the Hillbrow mortuary and set to be transferred to Diepkloof.
The department confirmed Police would carry out the DNA testing.
The Gauteng Health Department has provided a hotline number to assist family members who want to find their loved ones who are either hospitalised or deceased. Toll-free number: 0800 203 886 Direct line: 011 355 3048 /011 241 5707.
Investigation
The structural integrity of the Usindiso Building has been compromised by the fire. For everyone's safety, including affected occupants who are looking to retrieve their belongings, the building cannot be accessed at the moment as it is unsafe. The building has been sealed, with police patrols for additional security.
No further investigations can take place until the City’s engineers have deemed the structure safe.
South African Local Government Association (SALGA)
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) called for collective action and responsibility from officials in supporting victims, their families and survivors.
SALGA chairperson Ronald Nkosi said officials must prevent such incidents in future. "While the cause of the fire needs to be investigated, we do know that the circumstances leading to this tragedy are rooted in multifaceted challenges at various levels," said Nkosi.
"The complex issues of rapid urbanisation, and the need for housing on the one hand. Unscrupulous individuals who take advantage of desperate vulnerable people making them live in high-risk buildings and land illegally. It is essential to strengthen our country's laws and municipal by-laws relating to security of tenure, especially for the poor and vulnerable while also preventing them from unlawfully occupying land and premises."
President hopes investigation prevents future incidents
"This is a great tragedy felt by families whose loved ones perished in this terrible manner," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in televised remarks. I do hope that the investigations into the fire will... prevent a repeat of such a tragedy."
As Ramaphosa visited the site in the evening, cries of despair from relatives of the victims filled the air. "It's a wake-up call for us to begin to address the situation of housing in the inner city," he said.
History
The building, 80 Albert Street, was built in 1954 as the head office of Johannesburg's Non-European Affairs Department, serving as a Pass Office for enforcing pass laws controlling the movement of black people into Johannesburg under the apartheid system. From 1994, the building housed a women's shelter later called the Usindiso Women's Shelter. In 2019, a clinic housed in the building was relocated by the member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Health and Social Development, Mpho Phalatse, as the building was occupied by squatters and found to be unsafe. The building is marked with a heritage plaque narrating its history.
Sources: City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services Communications Unit, SBS News, TimesLive, EWN, News 24, CNN
