No injuries as fire guts part of Korsten building
BROKEN tiles, puddles of water and charred belongings were all that remained after a section of a Korsten building went up in flames yesterday.
The fire in Essex Street enveloped part of the building which houses a convenience store and doctor’s surgery. It was unoccupied at the time.
Two women, who declined to speak to the media, looked distraught as they rummaged through what was left inside the building.
While details surrounding the fire are sketchy, a business owner in Essex Street, as well as another passerby, said the fire had started at about 9am.
The businessman, who did not want to be named, said he was in his office when another business owner across the road informed him about the fire.
“I immediately called the fire department. Firefighters arrived within 20 minutes and managed to douse the flames.
“I think the owners could have been renting it out to foreigners to live in, but I cannot confirm that, although I have seen many foreigners here in recent weeks.”
He said despite some smoke in his premises, his building sustained no significant damage.
Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki confirmed that fire and emergency services were on the scene.
Mniki could not confirm the cause of the fire, but said that no injuries had been reported.