Johannesburg fire chief Arthur Mqwa says the blaze that engulfed the upper levels of a building in the Johannesburg CBD on Wednesday has since spread to lower levels through ducts filled with paper and boxes. "The fire spread through the ducts to the 16th floor because there were papers and boxes in those ducts‚" he said during a briefing at Milpark Hospital‚ where four firefighters were undergoing treatment for burn wounds and smoke inhalation. "What I am trying to say is that the building was not sealed. It did not comply with the [emergency services] bylaws." Three firefighters died fighting the blaze on Wednesday. Overnight‚ firefighters were dispatched from other metros to help the City of Johannesburg’s exhausted teams.
Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba‚ who visited the building on Thursday to inspect the flare-up‚ was also at the hospital. Eight firefighters were admitted‚ but four have been discharged...
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