Fire-displaced residents given emergency shelter: Joburg Mayor

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Johannesburg Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda says the people who were left homeless due to the fire that gutted a residential building in the CBD on Sunday have been taken to a local sports ground for emergency accommodation.

Two people died in the fire, and several others were left injured after a woman allegedly sprayed paraffin on her boyfriend’s shack after an argument.

The woman has since been arrested.

During his visit to the scene, Gwamanda told the media, “They have been taken to Gazini Sports Ground, where the City of Johannesburg has provided 22 tents. They’ve provided approximately 10 ablution facilities as well as water tankers to ensure that the environment is conducive for the victims to be accommodated there.”

Some of the victims of the Johannesburg building fire are said to be foreign nationals. Johannesburg’s Mayor says the City is working with embassies of different countries to assist.

Joburg CBD building fire leaves two dead – Mbalenhle Mthethwa updates

Gwamanda says they found that some of the victims are not South Africans.

“The process that we are currently undertaking is in collaboration with the embassies. We have been alerted to the fact that we have 28 Lesotho foreign nationals, 4 Tanzanians, and 2 that come from Zimbabwe. We would first like to work with the embassies to establish their identities and what assistance they can render.”

Two people die in Joburg CBD building fire – Survivor appeals for assistance