Talk:2023 Johannesburg building fire

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Former Pass Office[edit]

The building, 80 Albert Street, has a notable history as it was built as a Pass Office during apartheid. See https://www.theheritageportal.co.za/article/80-albert-street-nerve-centre-controlling-black-peoples-lives-during-early-stages-apartheid and https://www.heritageregister.org.za/node/464. The blue plaque is visible near the door in some photos of the building after the fire. I haven't found a photo of the building on Wikimedia Commons. Zaian (talk) 16:16, 31 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

SAHRA: Albert Street Pass Office: Grade II Grading Date: 12/02/2015 Axxter99 (talk)

Displaced people[edit]

I read online (twitter, I think) that people displaced by the fire were refusing relocation in government-provided buses to emergency accommodation, as they feared they were being used to round up undocumented migrants (with some justification, based on previous actions by officials). Looking for a WP:RS for this. Zaian (talk) 07:03, 1 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Got it, and added to article. Zaian (talk) 07:48, 1 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Disputed death toll[edit]

The article says that 76 people died in the fire, however, there are conflicting sources like this one (says 74 people died in the fire), this one (says 74 people died in the fire), this one, (says 74 people died in the fire) and this one (says 70 people died in the fire). Do we change the death toll in an edit or wait for proper data to be released? EnbyPie08 (talk) 00:09, 2 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Unfortunately, tragedies typically have early death figures that are inaccurate given the nature of the event. It is easier to input preliminary numbers and then wait until a more accurate count is done (think Maui fire) as opposed to updating the numbers for a slight increase every 24 hours. In time (perhaps a few more days) the numbers should be confirmed and that would be a good time to update the article. Jurisdicta (talk) 14:46, 3 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Ok, I see. EnbyPie08 (talk) 22:43, 3 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

The death toll has risen to 77, kindly see here. Bobbyshabangu _talk 19:41, 4 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Worst building fire in South Africa?[edit]

I am looking for comparable building fires in South Africa to add to the article, but have not found any so far. As far as I can tell this is the second highest fire death toll (currently 77) in South African history, after the Kinross mining disaster (177 dead). Zaian (talk) 11:03, 4 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Two fatal fires in the Cape York building, a hijacked building in the Joburg inner city in 2013 and 2017, killing 4 and 7: [1], [2]. Three firefighters killed in a 2018 fire in the Bank of Lisbon building in Joburg: [3] Zaian (talk) 07:27, 6 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Rissik Street Post Office fire, The building, constructed in 1897, has been vandalised, occupied by squatters and been on fire twice. The famous clock tower has disappeared.^[1]^[2] Axxter99 (talk) 07:58, 6 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

References

^ Cox, Anna. "Rissik Street post office gets revamp". IOL.
^ "Rissik Street Post Office, Johannesburg | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

Category of pictures to the Incident[edit]

I went and took pictures of the building after the incident. Kindly find category here: Bobbyshabangu _talk 19:28, 4 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

[1] Cox, Anna. "Rissik Street post office gets revamp". IOL.

[2] "Rissik Street Post Office, Johannesburg | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

[1]

[2]