Midrand, Sept 26 – A devastating fire at the Broadwalk Urban Village in Midrand has resulted in the tragic discovery of a woman’s body beneath the rubble of the collapsed building. The lifeless body was recovered by the City of Joburg’s emergency management services (EMS) after it was found submerged under debris caused by the roof collapse during the fire, which began Tuesday night.
Xolile Khumalo, spokesperson for the EMS, confirmed the recovery, expressing condolences to the victim’s family. “The EMS search and rescue team has recovered a body of a female in Broadwalk Urban Village. The body was submerged under rubble and the roof that had collapsed during the fire incidents,” Khumalo stated.
Officials have begun an investigation into the cause of the fire, which left several residents injured and around 130 families displaced. Mlungisi Mabaso, a member of the City of Joburg’s mayoral committee for housing, described the building as poorly constructed. “While it is a privately owned building, we have a responsibility to ensure that all private developments are compliant and that our residents are protected,” he told Newzroom Afrika.
Mabaso highlighted concerns regarding the building’s partitioning, noting that it lacked firewalls to prevent the rapid spread of flames. He questioned the legitimacy of the building’s conversion from an office to a residential property and emphasized that, although fire extinguishers met by-law requirements, the overall safety compliance was inadequate.
Efforts to engage with the property owners have been met with frustration, as they have been unresponsive. “We have tried to reach out to the property owners with no success. It is unfortunate because we support private development as it helps address housing shortages and boosts the economy,” Mabaso lamented.
The landlords have reportedly contacted the displaced residents, offering to return their deposits, but officials deem this response insufficient given the extent of the loss incurred by the tenants. Many have lost nearly all their belongings in the fire.
As investigations continue, the City of Joburg is committed to determining how such safety oversights occurred and ensuring accountability for the incident.