Durban’s China Mall burns
FIREFIGHTERS were still battling to contain a blaze at the China Mall in the Durban CBD yesterday.
At least four people were injured when the multiple storey China Mall on Dr Pixley Kaseme Street (formerly West Street) caught on fire on Friday morning.
Paramedics, together with the ethekwini Fire Department, SAPS and metro police search and rescue units were able to rescue 13 people from the building.
Yesterday, the ethekwini Fire Department’s acting divisional commander, Sifiso Mbatha, said they were still struggling to contain the fire.
“We are still inside the building with the structural engineers.
“We can actually see cracks from the outside of the building and the smoke that is emitting from those cracks,” he said.
Mbatha said the firemen were still hard at work fighting the flames.
ALS Paramedics Medical Services, who were the first to arrive on the scene, said they found the building well alight, and there were reports of people who were trapped inside.
ALS spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said the team immediately entered the building with special breathing apparatus to rescue the people.
“Three people sustained moderate burns from the fire and were treated on the scene before being transported to a nearby Durban hospital for the further treatment that they required. One person sustained moderate injuries after attempting to escape the fire by jumping out of one of the windows,” said Jamieson.
“He was stabilised on the scene before being transported to a nearby Durban hospital for further treatment.”
Mbatha said it was unclear what had started the fire and the matter was still under investigation.
Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said the search and rescue units were still on the scene and Dr Pixley Kaseme Street was still closed yesterday.