Police searched through the remains of a residential building consumed by fire in Johannesburg today, Friday, using police dogs, as authorities intensified their investigations to determine the cause of the blaze that claimed the lives of over 70 people. Officers cordoned off the surrounding areas of the five-story dilapidated building, which was destroyed in a fire early on Thursday, marking one of the worst disasters of its kind in South African memory.
Thembalethu Mbahalaza from the Gauteng Forensic Department stated that most of the bodies were burned to a degree that made identifying them difficult, and investigators would have to rely on DNA samples from friends and relatives to determine their identities. He added that only 12 bodies could be identified at a glance out of the 74 that have been recovered so far. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated on Thursday that the fire was "a major tragedy" and a wake-up call for South Africa to address the housing crisis in its cities.
