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2023 Johannesburg building fire

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2023 Johannesburg building fire
structure fire, conflagration
CountrySouth Africa Edit
Edey de administrative territorial entity insydCity of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Edit
Ein locationAlbert Street Pass Office Edit
Coordinate location26°12′30″S 28°2′57″E Edit
Point for tym insyd31 August 2023 Edit
Map

For 31 August 2023 at around 01:30 SAST, fire engulf illegally abandoned building wey dem occupy for Johannesburg, South Africa insyd; dem kill 77 people wey 88 odas injure.[1][2][3] Ebe one of de deadliest fires for South African history insyd.[4]

De building

De building, 80 Albert Street, dem build am for 1954 insyd as de head office of Johannesburg ein Non-European Affairs Department, wey dey serve as Pass Office make dem enforce pass laws dey control de movement of black people wey dey go Johannesburg under de apartheid system. From 1994, de building house women dema shelter later dem dey bell am de Usindiso Women's Shelter.[5] For 2019 insyd, de member of de Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Health and Social Development relocate clinic dem house for de building insyd, Mpho Phalatse, as squatters occupy de building wey dem found am say ebe unsafe. Dem mark de building plus heritage plaque wey dey narrate ein history.[6]

Fire

De fire break out for de early hours for de morning for 31 August 2023, for de Central Business District insyd, five-storey building dem abandon for de corner of Delvers den Albert Streets wey de city government dey own wey gangs take ova. Na as many as 400 impoverished people dey illegally occupy am— chaw be foreign nationals, economic migrants, den asylum seekers—de gangs dey charge all of rent. Dem currently no know de cause of de fire. E spread thru de building, trap chaw people secof flimsy partitions den gates between makeshift rooms wey residents construct.[7][8][9]

Chaw residents jump from de windows of de building make dem escape, sam no survive de jump.[10] Firefighters find bodies pile up wer dem die for gate dem lock for de ground floor while make dem try exit de building wey dey burn.[11]

Aftermath

De fire bring attention to de hundreds of buildings dem hijack for de Johannesburg CBD insyd, typically overcrowded den unregulated den impoverished den marginalised people inhabit wey dey include large number of undocumented migrants go South Africa ein economic hub of Johannesburg.[12]

Sam residents wey survive de fire refuse make dem board buses for relocation go emergency accommodation for community insyd dey hail after de fire, dem dey fear officials go use de relocation as excuse for deportation, wey dem be unwilling make dem leave behind de remains of dema possessions for de burnt building insyd.[10]

Response

Presido Cyril Ramaphosa visit de site of de tragedy for 31 August, wey he call am "wake-up call".[12] Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announce inquiry into de fire.[13] While government officials blame de crises for NGOs dema top, wey prevent de previous attempts make dem evict occuiers from similar properties.[14][15][16] NGOs den inner city property owners argue say ebe de duty of de City of Johannesburg make e maintain buildings, provide services den enforce safety regulations.[17] South Africa ein courts consistently rule say dem no fi proceed evictions unless dem provide alternative housing under de provisions of de 1998 Prevention of Illegal Eviction Act.[18][19] Dey follow de fire, de City attempt make dem disconnect illegal electricity connections from similar buildings dem hijack for de city insyd, buh dem meet plus strong resistance from residents.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Cocks, Tim; Plessis, Carien du (1 September 2023). "Sniffer dogs search for clues in ashes of deadly South African fire". Reuters. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Seeletsa, Molefe (1 September 2023). "'Most survivors broke their limbs,' says Phaahla as death toll increases in Joburg fire". The Citizen. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  3. ↑ McCain, Nicole (4 September 2023). "Joburg fire: Families of unidentifiable victims urged to come forward with DNA samples". News24. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  4. ↑ Imray, Gerald; Magome, Mogomotsi (31 August 2023). "At least 74 are dead, many of them homeless, as fire rips through a rundown building in South Africa". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  5. ↑ https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/joburg-fire-families-of-unidentifiable-victims-urged-to-come-forward-with-dna-samples-20230904
  6. ↑ "Pass Office 80 Albert Street" The Heritage Portal. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  7. ↑ Allison, Simon (31 August 2023). "Johannesburg fire: survivors describe jumping from windows, as death toll rises to 74". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  8. ↑ Imray, Gerald; Magome, Mogomotsi (31 August 2023). "A building fire in Johannesburg kills at least 73 people, many of them homeless, authorities say". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Joburg inner city building fire claims at least 73 lives". Central News South Africa. 31 August 2023. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bhengu, Cebelihle; Pheto, Belinda; Nqunjana, Alfonso (1 September 2023). "'We don't know how to help them': Residents of burnt building refuse help for fear of deportation". News24. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  11. ↑ Patrick, Alex; Karrim, Azarrah; Cowan, Kyle (1 September 2023). "Deathtrap: Albert Street residents died trying to escape a building City officials 'condemned'". News24. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Granville, Samantha (31 August 2023). "Johannesburg fire 'wake-up call', President Ramaphosa says". BBC News. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "Joburg Fire: Committee of Inquiry to be set up". eNCA. 1 September 2023. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Mafata, Masego (31 August 2023). "NGOs respond to being blamed for Johannesburg fire". GroundUp. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "City of Johannesburg's wake up call: fire at Usindiso Shelter for Women and Children". SERI. 31 August 2023. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  16. ↑ Njilo, Nonkululeko (31 August 2023). "City of Johannesburg points finger at NGOs and foreign nationals after deadly fire". Daily Maverick. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  17. ↑ Haffajee, Ferial (31 August 2023). "City of Joburg shuttered task team that should have cleaned up building in which 73 died". Daily Maverick. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  18. ↑ Allison, Simon (1 September 2023). "Grief and anger after Johannesburg blaze that killed at least 74". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  19. ↑ Granville, Samantha (2 September 2023). "Johannesburg fire: Hijacks and death traps in a crumbling South African city centre". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  20. ↑ "Residents of jacked buildings in show of power". IOL. 14 September 2023. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
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