JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 When a fire broke out in the high-rise Bank of Lisbon building, Simphiwe Moropane was one of the firefighters who were fighting the fire hard on the 23rd floor. During the endless struggle, he ran out of oxygen and made it to a window to lean out and breathe some fresh air. Unfortunately, he slipped and fell down. The incident was recorded by several shocked witnesses.
During the fire in this building, two other firefighters also died: Mduduzi Ndlovu and Khathutshelo Muedi. Both remained trapped inside and died as a result of smoke inhalation and burns.
The incident sparked a debate about building safety in the city. It was later found that the Bank of Lisbon building met only 21% of safety requirements. Even the water system inside did not work for firefighting, which made the firefighters’ job much more difficult. The building housed several government departments, including the Gauteng provincial health department.
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