Arrest Made in Deadly 2023 Building Fire in Johannesburg

FILE - Medics and emergency staff work at the scene of a deadly blaze in downtown Johannesburg, Aug. 31, 2023.

Authorities in South Africa have arrested a man in connection with the deaths of 76 people in a massive building fire in Johannesburg last August.

The suspect is a 29-year-old man who confessed while testifying during a public inquiry into the cause of the tragedy.

The man, who police have yet to identify, also will be charged with 120 counts of attempted murder and charges of arson, according to a police statement.

The fire, one of the worst disasters in South Africa’s history, occurred in an abandoned five story building in downtown Johannesburg that had been taken over by criminal gangs who rented living quarters to squatters.

Most of the victims in the August 31 fire were foreign migrants.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse.