The building at 80 Albert Street, Johannesburg CBD, belonging to the city caught fire in the early morning of 31 August 2023. By Sunday, 03 September 2023, the number of fatalities was at 77.
Many of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition. 62 of the 76 bodies were burnt beyond recognition, which meant that DNA samples were needed as only 12 bodies were identifiable through the face.
Of the 12, only 9 families have come forward to claim their loved ones.
Some local officials and politicians have blamed the “hijacking” phenomenon, which is the unauthorised
habitation of vacant buildings.
The building that caught fire was an apartheid-era centre where Black South Africans went to collect their Dompas, but it was illegally occupied or hijacked in 2021 resulting in the legal occupants being stranded.
Below is an infographic that illustrates the illegal occupation of buildings:
