Details have emerged showing that city officials condemned the building that was razed down by fire in Johannesburg.

The building was initially used to shelter abused women and children in the city. It was mainly associated with the poor inhabitants of the town.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on August 31 visited the fire tragedy scene, where he disclosed that the Marshalltown fire tragedy on Thursday exposed a housing crisis in Johannesburg.

“We need to find effective ways of dealing with problems of accommodation, housing, and services in the inner city. The officials will apply their minds, and I want them to find a way of dealing with the housing challenge in the inner city,” he said.

The South African President said the housing crisis in Johannesburg needed to be addressed soon.

This was after a fire that broke out at a five-storey building on the corner of Albert and Delvers streets, led to the death of 74 people.

Several other people who were injured in the fire tragedy were hospitalized at several facilities around the city, including Helen Joseph Hospital.

Ramaphosa promised that the government would support the city leadership in investigating the cause of the fire.

Shortly after Ramaphosa’s visit to the scene, the City manager Floyd Brink noted that his team was planning to form a commission of inquiry into the cause of the deadly fire.

He added that three community halls have been identified to accommodate the affected residents temporarily.