It's possible illegal electricity connections sparked Usindiso building fire, says expert

JOHANNESBURG - A fire expert investigating the causes of the Usindiso building fire said it was possible that illegal electricity connections on the property sparked the blaze.

The evidence was shared during a trial against 31-year-old S’thembiso Mdlalose, who confessed to using petrol to start the fire that killed 76 people.

Lesiba Mokubela, a fire debris analyst at the forensic science laboratory, took the witness stand in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on Monday.

Mdlalose admitted to using petrol to set fire to the body of a man he claims to have murdered in the Usindiso building.

However, two fire experts testified in court that no traces of petrol or any other flammable liquid were detected at the scene.

Instead, they found evidence of illegal electricity connections, which they believed may have sparked the blaze

Fire debris analyst Mokubela explained what was found in the Usindiso building.

"There was evidence of the soot deposit on the walls, which shows there were previous malfunctions on the transformer, causing small fires that sparked a lot of smoke on the wall."

He said that the absence of traces of petrol did not rule out its use in the incident.

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