It took less than 15 minutes for Johannesburg emergency management services (EMS) to respond and arrive at the Usindiso building where 77 people died when a fire broke out on August 31.
The response was triggered by the city's monitoring camera system and a call to the call centre at 1.19am, divisional chief of emergency management services David Thabe said in a statement read out at the commission of inquiry chaired by retired judge Sisi Khampepe.
A camera monitoring the street showed movement on the scene and a fire was detected at about 1.19am. At about 1.25am the first fire responders were dispatched with an emergency fire truck from Malvern. Emergency responders arrived at the scene from 1.36am to 1.45am.
He said the Malvern fire station was closest to the scene and “a fire truck with six occupants was dispatched to Usindiso”.
At about 1.55am “a ladder” was dispatched from Sandton fire station and arrived on the scene just after 2am.
On Thursday, acting EMS head Rapulane Monageng testified that only one door at the hijacked building could be used to gain access.
The other entrances were either blocked or sealed off with a variety of “unsuitable materials”.
The building also had no fire extinguishers or fire hoses. Some of the staircases were blocked and converted into makeshift rooms.
Another witness, police crime scene investigator W/O Bonginkosi Mngadi, took 800 photographs at the scene.
He told the commission that when he took photos in a room with an electrical transformer, he saw illegal connections.
The inquiry was shown photos of bodies in Delvers Street and several of the building before and after the fire.
“The picture shows bodies allegedly recovered from the burnt building. There are drapes and blankets hanging out the window,” Mngadi said.
Several images showed a room that housed an electrical transformer.
He testified he saw wires criss-crossing which seemed to be illegally connected to the transformer. “The cables were leading out of the room. They appeared to be illegally connected. The wires were hanging and didn’t seem to be properly supported.”
The images Monageng shared on Thursday painted a picture of life inside the Usindiso building, showing how residents used makeshift steel burglar doors throughout the building which made the rescue operation difficult, as many people couldn't leave their rooms. Many also used corroded paraffin stoves, which posed a fire hazard as they were more likely to collapse or fall over.
The inquiry continues.
TimesLIVE
CCTV footage in CBD raised fire alert for EMS to deploy to Usindiso building
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
It took less than 15 minutes for Johannesburg emergency management services (EMS) to respond and arrive at the Usindiso building where 77 people died when a fire broke out on August 31.
The response was triggered by the city's monitoring camera system and a call to the call centre at 1.19am, divisional chief of emergency management services David Thabe said in a statement read out at the commission of inquiry chaired by retired judge Sisi Khampepe.
A camera monitoring the street showed movement on the scene and a fire was detected at about 1.19am. At about 1.25am the first fire responders were dispatched with an emergency fire truck from Malvern. Emergency responders arrived at the scene from 1.36am to 1.45am.
He said the Malvern fire station was closest to the scene and “a fire truck with six occupants was dispatched to Usindiso”.
At about 1.55am “a ladder” was dispatched from Sandton fire station and arrived on the scene just after 2am.
On Thursday, acting EMS head Rapulane Monageng testified that only one door at the hijacked building could be used to gain access.
The other entrances were either blocked or sealed off with a variety of “unsuitable materials”.
The building also had no fire extinguishers or fire hoses. Some of the staircases were blocked and converted into makeshift rooms.
Another witness, police crime scene investigator W/O Bonginkosi Mngadi, took 800 photographs at the scene.
He told the commission that when he took photos in a room with an electrical transformer, he saw illegal connections.
The inquiry was shown photos of bodies in Delvers Street and several of the building before and after the fire.
“The picture shows bodies allegedly recovered from the burnt building. There are drapes and blankets hanging out the window,” Mngadi said.
Several images showed a room that housed an electrical transformer.
He testified he saw wires criss-crossing which seemed to be illegally connected to the transformer. “The cables were leading out of the room. They appeared to be illegally connected. The wires were hanging and didn’t seem to be properly supported.”
The images Monageng shared on Thursday painted a picture of life inside the Usindiso building, showing how residents used makeshift steel burglar doors throughout the building which made the rescue operation difficult, as many people couldn't leave their rooms. Many also used corroded paraffin stoves, which posed a fire hazard as they were more likely to collapse or fall over.
The inquiry continues.
TimesLIVE
MORE:
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Lawyers keen to cross-examine witnesses in Usindiso fire inquiry
Slumlords likely to be exposed during Khampepe inquiry, says commissioner
Inquiry into Marshalltown fire to start this month
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