Death toll in Johannesburg building fire rises to 76

The death toll from a fire in a five-story building in downtown Johannesburg has risen to 76, South African Minister of Health Joe Paahla told a briefing, Report informs via TASS.

"74 people burned down and suffocated from smoke in the house, two more died later in the hospital," he said.

A massive fire ripped through a downtown building in the South African city of Johannesburg overnight. The five-story apartment block was one of many disused buildings in the city that have been overtaken by gangs, who then rent out the space inside to people who are desperate for affordable housing. Poorly maintained and squalid, whole families often share cramped quarters.