At least 63 people have died after a fire broke out in a multi-storey building in Johannesburg, South African authorities have said.
The fire broke out in a five-storey building, believed to have been used by homeless people, in the city centre in the early hours of Thursday morning.At least 63 have died in the fire, including one child, and more than 40 others have been injured - however experts have warned the death toll is likely to rise.
A search-and-recovery operation has been launched, emergency services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said. Authorities said the fire has been largely extinguished but smoke is still seeping out of the building.Read more:The cause of the blaze has not yet been established.It is thought as many as 200 people may have been living in the building, which Mr Mulaudzi said was essentially an “informal settlement” for homeless people looking for accommodation without any formal lease agreements.He said the nature of the building made it hard to carry out the search, adding: “Over 20 years in the service, I've never come across something like this.”Photos shared of the scene showed covered bodies lined up near the blackened building. Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr Kabelo Gwamanda, will attend the scene at around 09:30 local time this morning. The blaze marks the third time a fire has broken out in one of Johnnesburg’s older buildings in the few months. A fire in Hillbrow killed two young children in June, followed by a blaze earlier this month in Yeoville.
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