Some Jeppestown building fire survivors leave temporary shelters over state of living conditions
A number of survivors have complained that the tents they were being housed in were cold at night and there were not enough foam mattresses for everyone.
The aftermath of a building in Jeppestown that caught fire in the early hours of Sunday, 25 August 2024, claiming the lives of at least four people. Picture: Jacques Nelles / Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Some survivors of the Jeppestown building fire have left the temporary shelters provided by the Johannesburg municipality due to unbearable living conditions.
A number of survivors have complained that the tents they were being housed in were cold at night and there were not enough foam mattresses for everyone.
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On Sunday, four people died and hundreds where left stranded when a hijacked building they called home in the Johannesburg inner city caught fire.
Johannesburg ward 61 councillor, Themba Mkhize, said the number of people in the shelter had dwindled from over 200 to just under 100.
"A lot of people decided to not come to the tents. They said it was cold, windy and they made alternative accommodation plans either by going to their relatives or in the nearby hostels. So, we have ended up having about 90-something people in the tents but in total about 270 people were displaced. We have kept a list on everyone who is affected."