Emergency Services spokesman Robert Mulaudzi mentioned one other 43 folks have been injured within the blaze that broke out within the predawn hours on Thursday.
He mentioned the dying toll may nonetheless enhance.
A search and restoration operation was underway and firefighters have been shifting by way of the constructing, Mulaudzi mentioned.
The variety of fatalities had risen to 63, town of Johannesburg mentioned on X — the social media community previously generally known as Twitter — in a toll that was rising a number of instances per hour.
At least one baby was among the many lifeless and extra folks is perhaps trapped inside, Mulaudzi mentioned.
Authorities mentioned the fireplace had been largely extinguished, however smoke nonetheless seeped out of home windows of the blackened constructing downtown.
Strings of sheets and different supplies additionally frolicked of a number of the home windows.
It was not clear if folks had used these to attempt to escape the fireplace or in the event that they have been making an attempt to save lots of their possessions.
Mulaudzi mentioned the constructing was successfully an “informal settlement” the place homeless folks had moved in searching for lodging with none formal lease agreements.
He mentioned that made it exhausting to go looking the constructing.
Mulaudzi mentioned it was unclear what triggered the fireplace however there have been two probably choices given the deserted nature of the constructing.
“It might be illegal connection or it might be other heating devices they were using,” he advised the Sunday Times.
“Because we are told that at the time when the fire started it didn’t have electricity, so it might be any other options between the ones I just mentioned.”
There may need been as many as 200 folks residing within the constructing, witnesses mentioned.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda was heading to the scene and anticipated to handle the media at 9.30am (5.30pm AEST).
Source: www.9news.com.au
