A man has been arrested after allegedly confessing that he started a fire in South Africa that killed 76 people – while trying to get rid of a body.
The 29-year-old made the shock confession during a public inquiry into the cause of the fire at a five-storey building in Johannesburg in August last year.
The man reportedly said he had strangled someone to death in the basement of the block of flats, before setting fire to his body, according to South African media reports of the testimony.
He said that he was a drug user and was told to kill the man by a drug dealer who lived in the building.
Police later said the man – who was not named – has been arrested in connection with the fire and is facing 76 counts of murder, 120 counts of attempted murder and arson.
August 2023: Firefighters work to put out blaze
The alleged confession came as a complete surprise, as the inquiry was not a criminal proceeding, but aimed to find what safety failures might have resulted in the deaths of so many.
The fire ripped through the dilapidated building, killing 76 people, including at least 12 children. More than 80 people were injured in the blaze.
Witnesses said at the time they saw people throwing babies from the burning building in an attempt to save them – and at least one man jumped to his death.
South African police said the man would appear in court soon, but didn’t give a date.
