Businesses near China Emporium evacuated after fire
BUSINESSES operating near the China Emporium, that was engulfed by fire last week have been temporarily closed to ensure the safety of the public.
But with no clear directive from the ethekwini municipality on when they could reopen, many of them have returned to their stores and have continued to trade, despite the potential hazard.
Businesses operating on Brook Street, in the Durban CBD were evacuated on Thursday following assessments by structural engineers appointed by the owners of the China Emporium at the request of the municipality.
Lindiwe Khuzwayo, the municipality’s head of communication said the structural integrity of the building was believed to be compromised. This also meant that some road lanes would remain closed. The multiple-storey complex caught on fire last week Friday. It was reported that the fire started in the generator room, however this was yet to be confirmed. Thirteen people were reported to be injured.
By yesterday smoke was still emitting through the cracked walls of the Emporium.
According to municipal officials, the stability of the building was severely compromised by the fire and heat. During a meeting that was held by the city’s structural engineers and insurance assessors on Wednesday, it was decided that the building was not fit for human occupation and has been condemned.
ethekwini Fire Department Divisional Commander, Nkulumo Dube, said the building would be demolished but they were taking into consideration who was going to pay for the services rendered.
Dube said firefighters had stopped putting out the fire on the basis that the team had experienced difficulties entering the building since the upper floors had started to topple over the floors below.
“We could not enter the second floor which made it hard to contain and stop the smoke that was still emitting. A decision was made that the building should be left until it stopped burning on its own,” he said.
Dube said that firefighters were still on standby to observe any accidents that might occur.
Salami Wogme, an Ethiopian national who owns a building in the affected precinct said they were asked to close their shops on Thursday but were operating again a day later.
Wogme said even though he was trading, he felt unsafe as the walls of the emporium were cracking.
“Business has also been slow because of the road closure. We need
to make an income. The officials did not tell us when we could reopen so we decided to come back. Our customers are finding it difficult to find parking. If the city can fast-track the process it will be much better,” he added.
Meanwhile, people living in the surrounding areas such as Bluff, Yellowwood Park and Umbilo have complained about the fumes that were contaminating the air.
Desmond D’SA, co-ordinator for the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), an environmental justice organisation based in South Durban said the blaze was a clear indication that the building was not safe.
“Most buildings owned by Chinese nationals often don’t have emergency exits, hence people were escaping through windows of the building when the fire broke out last week. These kinds of buildings often don’t have fire certificates and employees are not well educated about safety fire protocols should something of this nature transpire.
“The city has to do an investigation about what triggered the fire and whether any safety protocols were being followed. The government also has to investigate how they carried out their business since it has been reported that bags with hard cash were being thrown through the building windows,” added D’SA.
Kuben Samie, an environmentalist, said the concern would be on the air quality in the city centre as a result of the fire, and further emissions from the building if it continued to smoulder.
He said the other concern was the safety of people and businesses in the vicinity of the Emporium should the building collapse due to damage to the structural integrity of the building caused by the fire.
“The decision to demolish may be a way to avert a disaster caused by the building collapsing. There should
be an investigation into the cause of the fire, and to establish if there were any deviations from the mandatory fire requirements and protocols, and why the fire started or spread, despite these existing fire precautions and protocols,” said Samie.
Dube said it was still unclear of the exact date of how and when the building was going to be demolished.
Colonel Thembeka Mbele, provincial police spokesperson confirmed that an enquiry was opened at Durban Central police station.