ETA fire tore through a building in downtown Johannesburg early Thursday, killing at least 63 people and injuring dozens of others, city officials said. The authorities were still trying to determine what caused the blaze, which consumed a five-story abandoned building that had been overtaken by squatters and had become a sprawling informal settlement. Mgcini Tshwaku, a Johannesburg city councilman who oversees public safety, said that when he arrived at the scene, the structure was in flames and people were jumping out of it. People often light fires inside these informal settlements to keep warm, Mr. Tshwaku said. Many abandoned buildings in the city have been taken over because of a shortage of affordable housing, he said.

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Persons: Tshwaku Organizations: South Locations: Johannesburg, Mgcini, South African