VAM News Update

At least 52 people have been killed and more than 40 treated for injuries following a fire at a multistorey building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, local media and an emergency worker said.

Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the blaze on Thursday morning had gutted a building located in the city’s central business district, and the death toll was continuing to rise with 52 bodies now recovered from the site.

“Latest update 52 bodies recovered and 43 injured still continuing with search and recovery,” Mulaudzi said in a post on social media.

The injured are receiving treatment at “various health care facilities”, Mulaudzi said.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, according to South Africa’s News24 online news site.