Inquiry into deadly Joburg building fire continues
An inquiry into the horrific fire that gutted the Usindiso building in Johannesburg will continue hearing evidence from emergency first responders on Friday.
The inquiry, which kicked off on Thursday, deals with the blaze and its cause.
Chairperson Justice Sisi Khampepe is also investigating who should be held accountable.
More than 70 people lost their lives in the August inferno.
A Gauteng emergency official told the inquiry that firefighters battled to access the multi-storey building.
"This even during the breaking of paraffin, no one could assist even to open, gain access to the building itself. It’s relatively against South African national standards.
"In part, it is clearly prescriptive of saying how are those thoughts in terms of security that's supposed to be maintained, that's supposed to be constructed, that's supposed to be kept open with no obstacles whatsoever.
"Worse of this one, commissioner, we can’t gain access either inside or outside."
Rapulane Monageng, Gauteng's EMS Director, said they found rusty paraffin stoves in the victims' rooms.
He says the illegally occupied building didn't have fire extinguishers.
A fire hose reel was covered with a wooden board used for separating rooms.
"The building, when it complied, it’s supposed to have fire extinguishers. In this case, we are supposed to have two hanged fire extinguishers, portable fire extinguishers.
"Commissioner, those extinguishers they were missing, not only there, right through the floors of the building, you couldn't find any portable extinguishers."
