Watch: South African president visits site of Johannesburg fire which killed more than 70
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Watch as Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa, is expected to visit the site of the Johannesburg fire that killed more than 70 people on Thursday 31 August.
An emergency services spokesperson said another 52 people were injured in the fire that broke out at about 1am.
Some of the people living in a maze of shacks and other makeshift structures inside the building threw themselves out of windows in an attempt to escape the blaze.
Officials say that 12 children are among the dead, including a one-year-old baby.
Reports suggest as many as 200 people lived in the building, which was an “informal settlement” housing homeless people while they looked for permanent accommodation.
Some of the victims may have been renting rooms in the building from criminal gangs, officials claim.
Johannesburg’s mayor Kabelo Gwamanda extended his condolences to the families of those who died on Thursday, and said that “we share the pain of those that have suffered grave injury”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments