Fire Kills More Than 70 in Johannesburg

People gather near a building on fire in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 31, 2023 City of Joburg EMS/Handout via REUTERS

A building fire in central Johannesburg, South Africa, killed at least 73 people and injured 52 others.

Emergency Services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi released the death toll on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying search and recovery efforts were ongoing.

The fire broke out before dawn in a five-story building that Mulaudzi said was being used as an informal settlement by homeless people.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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