Two die in Pretoria fire at an abandoned building

Mapaballo Borotho

A fire in an abandoned Pretoria building claimed two lives on Sunday morning.
The victims, who had been living in the basement turned into an informal settlement, died of smoke inhalation.
Emergency Services say the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

Two people lost their lives after a fire broke out in an abandoned building in the City of Tshwane early on Sunday morning.

According to Emergency Services, crews received a call just after 4 am about the blaze.

The abandoned building, which had been converted into an informal settlement, housed several residents who used wooden partitions to create makeshift living spaces.

Emergency Services spokesperson Nana Radebe-Kgiba confirmed that the victims died of smoke inhalation after being unable to evacuate the basement.

“Firefighters discovered the two bodies during a search-and-rescue operation, as residents could not confirm whether everyone had escaped the flames”.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.