Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa over the tragic consequences of the Johannesburg fire, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
"Dear Mr. President, please accept my sincere condolences on the tragic consequences of the fire in Johannesburg. I ask you to convey words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured," the Kremlin quoted the Russian president as saying during a phone call with Ramaphosa.
The latter deemed the fire a great tragedy.
"This is a great tragedy, felt by families whose loved ones perished in this terrible manner and our hearts go out to every person who is affected by this disaster," the president said at a public event.
Ramaphosa stressed that a thorough investigation into the incident would be carried out in order to prevent similar cases in the future.
The fire started early hours on Thursday morning in a five-store structure in South Africa's economic capital, Johannesburg. At least seventy-three people died, and 52 others were injured. According to SABC television, the building was allegedly occupied by illegal residents.
Emergency services are still conducting relief operations in the building that caught fire in Johannesburg's center, according to spokesman for Johannesburg Emergency Management Services Robert Mulaudzi.
Mulaudzi told Sputnik earlier in the day that the fire had been stopped.