Another hijacked Marshalltown building goes up in flames

September 15, 2023 128

One person has been hospitalised after a three-story building went up in flames in Marshalltown in the Joburg CBD on Friday.

It is reported that the fire was only contained in the basement.

Emergency Services spokesperson in Johannesburg, Xolile Khumalo, says the people residing in the building were evacuated to places of safety.

“No injuries were reported, the fire started on the ground floor where residents have built shacks inside the building.”

[Incident in visuals]

MMC for Public Safety, Mgcini Tshwaku says the City will place the victims of the fire in a temporary shelter.

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Some occupants of the building at Cnr Delvers and Cornelius which was gutted by fire in the Johannesburg CBD today have been left homeless.

-The City of Johannesburg Public Safety Department led by MMC Dr. @MTshwaku indicated that the City will place the victims… pic.twitter.com/r3gvqgqNYo

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) September 15, 2023

The blaze comes a few weeks after 77 people perished in another hijacked building in the same area.

The fire left more than 60 other people injured and dozens displaced.

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, has since launched an inquiry into Joburg’s deadliest fire.

An independent panel led by retired Constitutional Court Justice, Sisi Kampempe will start its work on the 1st of October until November.

The second phase will then resume in January until March next year.

Lesufi says the panel is expected to conclude its work in April next year.

Abandoned building

In a separate incident this afternoon, a 30-year-old male died after an abandoned building collapsed in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg.

It is reported that the deceased and another who is currently in hospital were trying to remove building material from the structure when it came down on them.

Emergency Services have warned residents to refrain from removing material from the abandoned buildings to avoid incidents of this nature.