The blaze that gutted the illegally occupied Usindiso building has been described as an abnormal fire. That is according to Johannesburg Emergency Services Platoon Commander Lucas Thipe who was present on the day of the fire.
Thipe is the third witness to the appear before the Commission of Inquiry into Johannesburg’s Marshall town inferno that claimed 76 lives and left dozens homeless.
He told the commission chaired by Constitution court Justice Sisi Khampepe that the boards used to partition rooms fueled the flames.
On Thursday the commission heard of fire hazardous material like shacks constructed out of glue laminated plywood. And that emergency evacuation exits were blocked by boxes, brick walls and even locked gates.
Thipe has told the commission that fire fighters had to break through locks to access every room and every floor which was locked.
Charred bodies were found mostly on the first and second floor of the five storey building.
The fire fighter and other high ranking Johannesburg Emergency Services officials have concluded their testimony on day two of the inquiry.
The commission is investigating the cause of the fire and what can be done to prevent the tragic event from happening again.
Johannesburg CBD Fire Inquiry | Nomzamo Zondo weighs in on the aftermath of the inferno:
