Lerato Mbhiza
YET another Joburg building – a block of flats in Hillbrow – was reported to be on fire on Saturday afternoon but there were no casualties.
City of Joburg Public Safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku said authorities were first alerted to the blaze on the corner of Van Der Merwe and Klein Streets at around 4pm and that two fire engines and a water tanker were dispatched to the scene.
“We extinguished the fire, and there were no casualties. A preliminary investigation will be done to determine the cause of the fire,” she said.
This is the fourth fire in the CBD in the last three weeks .
Three days ago, there was extensive damage to the Johannesburg branch of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) after a fire ripped through the building’s basement. Employees were evacuated, and there were no fatalities or injuries.
In August, 77 people died and more than 80 were injured when a fire gutted the Usindiso Building in Albert Street.
Soon after that, a building in Delvers Street, only a few meters from the Usindiso Building, also went up in flames.
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