Joburg City Manager Floyd Brink says over 200 families displaced after a fire gutted the hijacked Usindiso Building in Marshalltown will be moved to three shelters in Hillbrow, Bezuidenhout Valley, and Fairview.
At least 74 people have died.
According to reports, at least 20 of the deceased were Malawian nationals.
Some survivors have said they paid slum lords who hijacked the building between R700 and R1,500 per month.
The City-owned building was leased to the Department of Social Development, which used it as a shelter for abused women and children before the building was hijacked in 2019.
Brink said Joburg’s Disaster Management Unit was working with the Human Settlements Department to arrange emergency accommodation for survivors, and three shelters had been identified.
The families will be taken to the Hofland Recreation Centre in Bez Valley, the Ekhaya Shelter in Hillbrow, and the Impilo Shelter in Jeppestown.
"After 72 hours, the Human Settlements Department will advise on where they will be taken to once all logistics and related verifications have been finalised.
"At this stage, we believe a total of 200 or more families were residents at the building," said Brink.
He dismissed reports that said Joburg Fire took several hours to respond, saying they were alerted to the fire at at 01:19am and the first responders were on the scene at 01:29am.
He said Joburg's Emergency Management Services had two fire trucks, one industrial pumper, one heavy rescue vehicle, one air truck, two incident command units, one Bronto, and one ladder 43 firefighters and 14 officers were on site.
"The Gauteng Provincial Health EMS also attended to the scene and began the process to assess, stabilise, treat, and transport the injured from the incident," said Brink.
DEATH TOLL
Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda said the death toll had since risen to 74 after one more person succumbed in hospital.
Brink said 61 people had been treated for injuries, 16 had been discharged, and 17 were still in hospital.
HIJACKED
Meanwhile, Brink said the building was hijacked in October 2019, and a police raid at the time netted 140 foreign nationals who were allegedly collecting rent from residents.
Brink said the case was concluded in 2022, but they still wanted to verify details with the SA Police Services about the matter.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected at the tragic site on Thursday afternoon. He is expected to be flanked by Gwamanda and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
IOL