- Title: Seven die in downtown Johannesburg building blaze
- Date: 5th July 2017
- Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 5, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BURNT BUILDING POLICE VANS PARKED OUTSIDE BUILDING / EMERGENCY WORKERS STANDING NEXT TO POLICE VANS COVERED DEAD BODY IN STREET JOHANNESBURG METRO POLICE STANDING / RESIDENTS OF BURNT BUILDING LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (English) GAUTENG POLICE SPOKESPERSON, CAPTAIN KAY MAKHUBELA, SAYING: "Well, we got the call at about nine o'clock (0700GMT) that the building here which is abandoned, which is used by the homeless people is on fire. When we arrived indeed the building was already on fire. So we summoned the emergency services who came and stopped the fire. But later we found that there are about six people who were burned beyond recognition and about one of the people who were inside jumped out from the building, he fell down and he died. But so, we had six who were transported to hospital with smoke inhaling - at the moment we will be investigating an inquest docket and also check what was the cause of fire." VARIOUS OF BURNT BUILDING RESIDENTS OF BUILDING STANDING BEHIND CORDON (SOUNDBITE) (Zulu) EYE WITNESS AND RESIDENT OF THE BUILDING, THANDO, SAYING: "When we woke up the situation was very hectic hence the man jumped out the window from the third floor." MORE OF RESIDENTS BEHIND CORDON FIRE ENGINE DRIVING TO CORDONED OFF AREA
- Embargoed: 19th July 2017 16:02
- Keywords: Johannesburg high-rise apartment block fire South Africa's commercial capital dead smoke inhalation emergency services
- Location: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
- City: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Fires
- Reuters ID: LVA0036OFYYX3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Seven people died in a high-rise apartment block fire in Johannesburg on Wednesday (July 5) including a man who jumped to his death to escape the flames, emergency services said.
They said there could be more bodies inside the Cape York building in South Africa's commercial capital and that a search operation had been launched.
Six people were being treated for smoke inhalation, Gauteng police spokesperson, Kay Makhubela said, adding that the fire had been contained and the investigation into the causes of the fire was underway.
Residents made ropes from sheets to get out through their apartment windows to flee the blaze.
In 2013 a fire killed four people in the same building, which had no running water or electricity at the time, South Africa's Sunday Times reported, but occupants moved back in soon afterward. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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