“I Had a Choice to Burn Alive or Jump”: Johannesburg Fire Survivors Recount How They Jumped From the Burning Building

“I Had a Choice to Burn Alive or Jump”: Johannesburg Fire Survivors Recount How They Jumped From the Burning Building

In a harrowing tale of survival, residents of a building in Johannesburg’s CBD jumped through windows to escape a raging fire that broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The inferno left more than 140 families displaced and claimed the lives of at least 73 people, including children.

Also Read: Tragedy Strikes as Fire Tears Through Johannesburg Building, Claiming 73 Lives

Survivors Leap to Safety in Joburg CBD Building Fire

Among the survivors was Jagg Master, a Malawian national who made the split-second decision to jump from the fourth-floor window to save his life.

“I had a choice to burn alive or jump,” he recounted.

Speaking to Zimoja, Jagg Master revealed that when he woke up he saw the fire rapidly spreading and smoke engulfing the building. He revealed that he heard screams echoing throughout the whole building.

“I could hear the screams across the whole building. I went straight to the balcony and prayed before jumping down. My ankle and thighs hurt, I think they are twisted, I hope they are not broken,” he said.

Another survivor, Saadi Juma, also had to make a daring leap from the third floor to escape the blaze.

“I was asleep in my room when I was woken by the sound of screams and people running in the corridors,” Juma recalled.

With no time to spare, he saw a massive blaze and made the split-second decision to jump out of the window.

Juma expressed concern for his brothers and cousins who were also in the building, hoping they too also made it to safety.

“They stayed in different rooms in the building and I have not seen them. I have lost everything I owned and I can’t really afford to lose my siblings in a foreign country,”Juma said.

Joburg Mayor Offers Condolences to the Affected Families

The tragic incident has left the community in shock and mourning. Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda expressed his condolences and assured the affected families that the government would provide support.

“We are here as government to demonstrate that we want to resolve the situation of our residents,” Gwamanda stated.

He emphasized the need to address the challenges faced by the inner city and prevent such incidents from recurring.

The building, initially leased by an NGO for the purpose of rehabilitating women, had been hijacked and used for other purposes. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation

The survivors, many of whom lost everything they owned, are now seeking medical attention and housing assistance. They are in urgent need of support from non-profit organizations like Gift of the Givers, who are on-site providing food, water, and blankets.