A man died when a residential building caught fire in the Johannesburg CBD on Wednesday afternoon, emergency services said.

Spokesperson Percy Morokane said the 5th floor of Commercial Centre, located at the corner of Claim and Bree streets, caught fire around 2pm.

"The fire was contained in 45 minutes. An unidentified man died and no one else was injured," said Morokane.

The cause of the fire was unclear but was being investigated.

Morokane said the 5th floor was completely destroyed.

It was also discovered that the building was in violation of the Buildings Control Act as it had been partitioned with dry walling.

"The owner was still nowhere to be found. Partitioning a building is a violation and those who do it will be prosecuted," said Morokane.

The displaced tenants would be provided with relief materials such as blankets and food. They would also be provided with accommodation, he said.

Sapa

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