Emergency services have recovered four bodies from a building in Cape Town that caught alight early on Friday morning.

The building on the corner of Loop and Waterkant Street in the city centre is thought to be a backpacker’s lodge.

Four people have already been hospitalised.

Several fire engines attended to the blaze and it was expected they would remain at the scene throughout the morning.

The fire department’s Paul Joseph says it is still unclear how the fire started.

The fire comes just two weeks after another blaze at an historic building in Bree Street, also in the city centre.