No casualties in Braamfontein building blaze

Paramedics said they had safely evacuated everyone who was inside a burning building in an office park in Braamfontein‚ Johannesburg.

Reports earlier said that a number of people‚ including one who is disabled‚ were trapped by the flames and smoke.

 However‚ Johannesburg emergency services spokesman Synock Matoboko said everyone has been evacuated from the building‚ including the disabled person.

 The fire started on the top floor of a building which houses several businesses including FNB‚ Forum One B Seta and the SA Blood Association.

 “None of our fire alarms went off. If it hadn’t been for our security guards‚ who alerted us‚ we would have been in serious trouble‚” said Selish Govender‚ spokesman for Forum One B.

 Matoboko said they would investigate the cause of the fire including reports that the building’s fire alarms had not been working.

 “We were forced to use fire hydrants in the street because we had problems with the building’s fire hydrants‚” he said.

 It was believed that some construction was underway on the floor where the blaze was believed to have started.

Paramedics and fire fighters arrived on the scene shortly before 2pm.

TimesLive reporter Kgaugelo Masweneng said people were who had already evacuated the burning building appeared calm.

 “It doesn’t seem like any one was hurt. We were told that it was lunchtime when the fire started and people were led out calmly‚” said Masweneng.

Isaac Mangena‚ spokesman for Oxfam SA said their building was in the same office park as the one that caught alight.

 Mangena claimed to have not seen any people who were physically injured.

 Others‚ however‚ were panicking because their vehicles were still parked in the basement of the premises.