On 31 August 2023 at around 01:30 SAST, a fire engulfed an illegally occupied government-owned building in Johannesburg, South Africa; 77 people were killed and 88 others were injured.

[9] The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning on 31 August 2023, in the Central Business District, at a five-storey abandoned building on the corner of Delvers and Albert Streets that is owned by the city government and was taken over by gangs.

It spread through the building, trapping many people due to flimsy partitions and gates between makeshift rooms constructed by residents.

[14] Firefighters found bodies piled up where they had died at a locked gate on the ground floor while trying to exit the burning building.

[19] While government officials blamed the crisis on NGOs, who prevented the previous attempts to evict occupiers from similar properties,[20][21][22] NGOs and inner city property owners argued that it was the duty of the City of Johannesburg to maintain buildings, provide services and enforce safety regulations.