A fire at a central Johannesburg building, which claimed the lives of three firefighters, has reignited, the city’s emergency services said on Thursday morning.
“At this moment, the fire has reignited from the 23rd floor to the 16th floor,” said spokesperson Nana Radebe. “It’s not flames, it’s just smouldering.”
Three fire engines and 20 firefighters are still on the scene.
The fire first broke out on the 23rd floor of the building, which is shared by the departments of health, human settlements and co-operative governance. All workers were evacuated from the building.
The fire department says two firefighters died after they became trapped in the building. A third fell to his death while battling the flames.
Gauteng MEC for infrastructure development Jacob Mamabolo revealed on Wednesday that the building was only 21% compliant with safety regulations.
“The building simply does not comply with safety and health regulations. Government officials will stay at home until there is a safe building to relocate them to,” Mamabolo said at a media briefing at the scene on Wednesday afternoon.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. It is suspected that an electrical fault could be to blame.
