South Africa: Fire in Johannesburg building kills at least 73 people

At least 73 people died Thursday in the South African city of Johannesburg in a building fire downtown. The city revealed that at least 52 other people were injured. Rescue teams continue to search the rubble.

According to the AP, the building that caught fire was inhabited by up to 200 homeless people. Johannesburg is the most populated city in South Africa, with more than 6.5 million inhabitants. It has a large number of immigrants from neighboring countries.

As search efforts progress throughout Thursday, the head of the city's emergency services, Robert Mulaudzi, said the number of deaths could continue to rise. At the time these statements were collected by AP, the firefighters needed more time to work through all five floors.

"It's a tragedy for Johannesburg. Over 20 years of service, I've never come across something like this," Mulaudzi said. It took about three hours for the city's fire department to put out the flames that engulfed the building. Mulaudzi added that the chances of finding anyone alive in the wreckage are slim.

According to Mgcini Tshwaku, another member of the city government, the fire may have been accidentally started by the victims inside. In South Africa, which is located in the southern hemisphere, winter is in full force and homeless people often light fires to stay warm at night.

According to a statement from the city's Emergency Department, the investigation into how the fire started is ongoing.