tawandamusarurwa
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
SEVEN Zimbabweans survived the raging fire at a rundown five-storey Johannesburg apartment block on Thursday morning, killing nearly 80 people, the country’s envoy to South Africa has said.
In an interview yesterday, Ambassador David Hamadziripi said identification through forensic examination of those killed in the blaze was ongoing. There were no Zimbabweans among the deceased whose identities have been established so far.
The Zimbabwean Consulate in Johannesburg is working with the South African authorities to confirm the nationalities of the victims.
Some Zimbabweans based in South Africa, he said, have pledged to assist their countrymen who were affected by the tragic incident. He also added that the consulate was working closely with the Gauteng Forensic Pathology Services to identify the victims.
Sixty-two people were burnt beyond recognition.
“We understand that 62 people were burnt beyond recognition and, according to the forensic experts, the identification process could take long,” said Amb Hamadziripi.
“However, they are employing other methods to ensure they expeditiously identify all the victims.”
The Zimbabwe Embassy, he added, was ready to assist with repatriation of the remains of Zimbabwean nationals who may have been killed in the fire.
Officials will be visiting more health facilities to verify if there were Zimbabwean nationals admitted.
City of Johannesburg spokesperson Ms Colleen Makhubele told the local media that investigations to establish the cause of the fire were continuing.
It was reported that the inferno started around 1.30am, before tearing through the dilapidated structure, which is home to hundreds of people.
Over 80 people were injured and are being treated at various hospitals around Gauteng province.
Scores of people have since been evacuated from the building, while emergency service providers are still carrying out a search and recovery operation inside the building.
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