Authorities Held Responsible for Deadly Fire in South Africa

The nighttime fire at the five-story building in downtown Johannesburg in August last year, was one of South Africa's worst disasters.

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At least 12 children were among the dead and another 86 people were injured, some jumping from windows to save themselves.

The investigation into the fire disaster in a residential building concluded that municipal authorities were responsible because they were aware of serious safety failures at the run-down building for at least four years before the incident.

Retired judge Sisi Khampepe was put in charge of the investigation, which began in October. On Sunday she delivered the first part of her report, concluding that the Johannesburg municipal government, which owns the property, had shown “total disregard” for its “calamitous state.”

After the fire, it was determined that hundreds of people were living illegally in the building, some in makeshift shacks in the hallways, bathrooms and basement, which had been designed as a parking lot. Emergency services found that fire extinguishers had been removed from the walls and that the emergency exit was blocked on the night of the fire.

Khampepe recommended that disciplinary action be taken against the chief executive officer of the Johannesburg Property Company, which oversees the city's buildings. She also said that the building should be demolished, and a plaque erected as a memorial to the victims which included children.

The disaster shed light on the housing crisis and illegal landlords who rent out space to people desperate for somewhere to live.