UPDATE: City to remember firefighters who lost their lives in CBD blaze

UPDATE: 21 May, 11.45am:

The firefighters who lost their lives in a building fire on 16 May were identified as Daniel Zwane and Michael Letsosa.

The memorial service will be held on 21 May at the Standard Bank Arena in Johannesburg from 1pm.

The City recognises firefighters as an important part of the emergency response teams and notes the loss of the two as a loss to Johannesburg itself.

UPDATE: 20 May, 11am:

Joburg Emergency Management Services has said they take full responsibility for the incident as an employer after the fire in which two firefighters lost their lives.

Robert Mulaudzi, spokesperson of City of Johannesburg Emergency Services said, “We take full responsibility and it is for this reason that we have initiated a full-scale investigation around the forensic fire investigation, occupational health, safety and labour department.”

Mulaudzi said the emergency services will also get a report from the incident commander, who will provide further information and clarity on the matter.

“In terms of the cause of deaths, that will be revealed by the investigations. At the moment, it’s only speculation and allegations which are not confirmed,” he said.

UPDATE: 19 May, 10am: 

According to online publication IOL News, Johannesburg firefighters have blamed one of their line managers for the death of two of their colleagues.

They allegedly claim that the manager left the incident site to get to the source of the blaze.

According to the publication, the line manager went into the basement of the burning six-storey Nedbank Mall in Albertina Sisulu Street in contravention of standard rules, according to Joburg Emergency Management Services (JEMS) colleagues.

It appeared that the two men who worked at the Fairview Fire Station in Commissioner Street ran out of oxygen and died from smoke inhalation.

A firefighter who was at the scene claimed the incident manager took the two men with him into the building to determine where the billowing smoke was coming from, leaving no one in charge of the site.

It is claimed the three did not even take a hose with them, which would have guided them out of the building. And with the incident manager not being on site, there was no one monitoring when people went in and when they were expected to come out. City Buzz has contacted JEMS and still awaiting comment.

Details to follow.

UPDATE: 18 May, 1pm

ER24 has sent its condolences to the families, friend and colleagues of the two firefighters who lost their lives at the scene of a fire in Johannesburg CBD.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

ORIGINAL STORY: 17 May, 8.27am

Two firefighters lost their lives while fighting a fire in the Joburg CBD in the early hours of 17 May.

According to the ER24 blog  firefighters were battling a structural fire in Von Willigh Street in the Joburg CBD.

ER24 paramedics were called to the scene to assist when reports were received of injured firefighters.

 Upon their arrival, they found one firefighter already being treated for smoke inhalation. Paramedics were informed that two firefighters were still trapped in the building.

 At around 1am a firefighter was brought out by his colleagues. He had no signs of life so paramedics initiated CPR. Sadly they were unable to revive him.

 At 3am another firefighter was brought from the building.

 Sadly there was nothing that paramedics could do for him either and he was declared dead on the scene.

 Four other firefighters were treated on the scene for various injuries and transported to hospital.

The exact circumstances surrounding the fire are not yet known.

The staff and management of ER24 expressed their condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the firefighters who passed away.