52 dead in Johannesburg apartment block fire

By Antoinette Radford, Aug 31: At least 52 people have died after a fire broke out in a block of flats in Johannesburg, South African authorities say.

More than 40 others are injured.

Johannesburg authorities say what sparked the blaze at the five-storey building in the city centre is unclear.

A spokesman for the emergency services, Robert Mulaudzi, told the BBC that firefighters had been able to bring out some of the occupants.

He said the fire had gutted the building, and the search for other victims continued.

A video posted to the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, by Mr Mulaudzi showed fire trucks and ambulances outside the building with burnt-out windows.