SIYABONGA SITHOLE and NTOMBI NKOSI
Scores of Joburg residents and neighbours of the five-storey building in Marshalltown that caught fire overnight have gathered on Albert Street in search of their loved ones.
Sixty-four people have died in the blaze. Nearly 50 others were taken to hospital.
Just before 10:30, it was confirmed that the death toll rose to 73 and 52 injured.
According to reports, this is one of many hijacked buildings where people erected structures within the building. Residents said they paid R1 500 rent.
Simphiwe Ngcobo, who is a hawker and resident of the building, lost her two-year-old child in the blaze, and her five-year-old is fighting for her life in hospital.
“I have been staying in this building since 2018. My two-year-old passed away, and my five-year-old is in the hospital. As I am sitting like this, I have lost everything. I don’t know where I will go with my child, who is still in the hospital,” said Ngcobo.
She said she had set up a stall selling food at night by the gate of the building when she heard a loud noise. At first, she thought people were fighting.
Ngcobo said she heard people screaming that there was fire.
“I ran to fetch my children; I could not reach the second floor. I came across scores of people running and falling in their quest for safety. I tried to gain access from the other gate, but it was very dark, and windows were breaking from the inferno, which did not even last for 5 minutes. Later, my brother arrived and managed to rescue one child, and the other one was declared dead on the scene,” said an emotional Ngcobo.
A woman, who identified herself as Magdalene, said she was worried about her brother, Jackson, who lived in the building.
She feared he could be one of the 64 people who were reported to have died.
No one knows what caused the fire, as the building was without electricity at the time.
“My brother has been staying in this building for over a year now. I came here because I spoke to him only last night at about 7pm. His last words to me were that he wanted to see me. So, as soon as I heard about the fire, I came here to look for him. Now I can’t find him, and I am concerned,” she said.
Another woman, who did not want to be named, told The Star that she has lost all her possessions, including her phone and important documents.
“We all woke up amid screams and panic. Luckily, some of us survived but in the midst of the panic, I lost valuable belongings, including clothes, cellphones and other belongings. Some of the people I know are still missing,” she said.
City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services firefighters said they responded to the fire on the corner of Alberts and Delvers streets around 1.30am.
A neighbour said the building was a shelter occupied by shelterless people, most of them immigrants.
“I woke up at around 1am and heard people screaming, and when I came out to investigate, I saw people trying to escape from windows as the fire was raging. It was really a terrible sight to see. Now I hear that more than 60 people have died,” the neighbour said.
Spokesperson for emergency services, Robert Mulaudzi, said that on arrival, firefighters started to evacuate people from the building while fighting the fire.
Ten people were confirmed dead at the scene, and 42 were treated on the scene and later, transported to various health care facilities. The cause of the fire incident was being investigated.
“Officials from the City of Johannesburg Disaster Management have been activated to start facilitating relief for affected families,” he said.
Mulaudzi said the search-and-rescue operation was ongoing and there could be more fatalities.
He said that as soon as disaster manger got the green light, they would hand over the scene to the SAPS.
The Star