Authorities must act to avoid fires

The video of a firefighter falling to his death from the burning Bank of Lisbon building in Johannesburg will haunt many for years to come. Unsuspecting bystanders recording the fire department battling to extinguish the blaze at the inner-city government building caught on camera the horrifying sight of 28-year-old Simphiwe Moropane falling to his death. He had reportedly tried to smash a window when he met his untimely death.

Videos showing the fall from various angles went viral almost instantly. Out of respect for the fireman’s family, many social media users called for the disturbing footage not to be shared. The videos were reminiscent of the ‘Falling Man’ - a haunting image of a man falling to his death following the terror attack on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

The deadly blaze in Johannesburg - which claimed the lives of firefighters Moropane, Mduduzi Ndlovu and Khathutshelo Muedi - has now prompted an investigation amid allegations of an insufficient number of fire engines, procedures not being followed and water pressure being too low.

The Sunday Times reported that 89 fire-fighting vehicles are out of service in Johannesburg, with only 15 currently in operation. With a population of five million, Johannesburg requires more than 100. It was also revealed that eight buildings housing government departments – including the Bank of Lisbon building – do not meet health and safety standards, according to an independent assessment. Unions claimed they had first raised concerns about the Bank of Lisbon building in 2014. The question is why no action has been taken when it was known that civil servants were working in potentially dangerous buildings.

When a fire alarm goes off, men and women charge into burning buildings, endangering their own lives to save civilians and property. We cannot have a situation where rescue missions are not done by the book, as alleged, or that there are not adequate resources to respond to emergencies.

In the wake of this tragedy, authorities need to reflect on what went wrong and how a future loss of lives can be avoided. They also need to take responsibility if any factors may have contributed to the deaths of the three firefighters.

Authorities need to take responsibility if any factors may have contributed to the deaths of the three firefighters.