"Johannesburg Fire: Devastation, Survival, and the Fight for a Better Future"

Residents of a dilapidated building in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, described the horrific conditions they endured before a fire broke out, killing at least 74 people. The building, taken over by criminal landlords, had no legal water or electricity, filthy toilets, and no showers. Many residents were immigrants who couldn't afford formal housing, and the building became a last resort for struggling individuals. The fire highlighted the city's failure to provide adequate social housing, and residents had long feared that the building was a death trap.