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The Star reports that the City of Johannesburg has admitted that it does not have the necessary equipment to extinguish fires in the metro, with an alarming number of buildings condemned as death traps.
This came to light in the wake of the Bank of Lisbon building fire that claimed the lives of three firefighters last week. MMC for community safety, Michael Sun, said the fire engines were not fully equipped to deal with blazes in tall buildings and that the city was only now trying to procure fire engines with extra-length ladders. Firefighters observed: “We don’t have fire engines that can fight fires that are above five storeys. This is why it took us so long to extinguish the Bank of Lisbon fire.” The fire at the building, which houses three provincial departments, started on the 23rd floor, quickly spreading to other floors. Sun said he didn't know if any metropolitan or department in SA has a ladder that could reach that height (23 storeys) and that when high-rise buildings were constructed, they couldn’t depend only on emergency services for safety, but should have their own sprinklers and hydrants that firefighters could use. A firefighter who was trapped inside the Bank of Lisbon building for several hours said they had been complaining about their safety gear. “It is not compliant with safety standards, and so it puts our lives in danger. We also have a problem with our safety officers who go out to these buildings to ensure they are compliant. They take bribes,” the firefighter claimed. Sun said they would investigate the claims.
- Read this report by Tebogo Monama & Sibongile Mashaba in full at The Star
- Read too, Joburg fire raises legal life and death issues for workers, at Business Report
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page