Usindiso building fire inquiry says death toll may be 76 not 77
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi established a commission inquiry to be chaired by Justice Sisi Khampepe to probe the exact cause of the tragedy.
A fire engine is seen extinguishing a fire at a building in Marshalltown in the Johannesburg CBD on 31 August 2023.
JOHANNESBURG - The commission of inquiry into the Usindiso building fire said preliminary investigations have revealed that the death toll in the fatal blaze may be 76 instead of 77.
In August, one of the deadliest fires ripped through a five-storey building in Marshalltown claiming many lives, leaving around 50 injured and hundreds displaced.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi established a commission inquiry to be chaired by Justice Sisi Khampepe to probe the exact cause of the tragedy.
Following several delays in its commencement, the inquiry held a briefing in Parktown on Tuesday to give an update on its state of readiness.
READ: Joburg CBD building fire commission of inquiry set for late October
Public hearings in the commission of inquiry into the Usindiso building fire are set to commence next week Thursday – where evidence will be tabled before the presiding officers.
During the initial stages, the commission is expected to review information that suggests the death toll in the fatal blaze is 76 instead of 77.
Speaking on the sidelines of the briefing on Tuesday - the commission’s spokesperson Thulani Makhubela said the final number of fatalities will be subject to the commission’s probe.
"There could have been a limb that was found in the building and it was assumed that it would belong to somebody else which would have been victim number 77, but upon thorough investigations, it could actually have belonged to one of the 76.
Makhubela said the death toll could only be officially revised after the evidence is submitted before Khampepe.