A man has been arrested after he admitted he started a fire in South Africa that killed 76 people – while trying to dispose of a body.
The 29-year-old made the shocking confession during a public inquiry into the cause of the accident Fire in a five-story building Police say in Johannesburg in August last year.
The man reportedly said he strangled a person to death in the basement of the apartment building, before setting his body on fire, according to South African media reports of the testimony.
He said he was a drug user and a drug dealer who lived in the building asked him to kill the man.
Police later said the man – who has not been named – was arrested in connection with the fire and faces 76 charges of murder and 120 charges of attempted murder and arson.
August 2023: Firefighters work to put out the fire
The confession came as a complete surprise, because the investigation was not a criminal proceeding, but was aimed at finding out the security failures that may have led to the deaths of many people.
The fire broke out in the dilapidated building, killing dozens of people, including at least 12 children. More than 80 people were injured in the fire.
Eyewitnesses said at the time that they saw people throwing children from the burning building in an attempt to rescue them, and at least one man jumped to his death.
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The building was a “ticking time bomb.”
The tragedy highlighted Johannesburg's long-standing problem with buildings being left dilapidated and abandoned by the authorities.
The building that burned down had been taken over by illegal landlords, who were renting out space to hundreds of people who were desperate for a place to live.
Many of the building's occupants were immigrants suspected of being in South Africa illegally.
Last year, Johannesburg's acting head of emergency services testified to the inquest that the building was a “time bomb”, because it was overcrowded with people living in wooden structures, while fire hoses and fire extinguishers had been removed.
The man is expected to appear in court soon, but police have not set a specific date.
