Emergency crews rushed to Inanda Road in Durban’s Springfield area following reports of a massive fire at China City.
Crews arrived at the scene just after 1 am.
Marshall Security’s Andreas Mathios said the fire was contained by eThekwini Fire.
“Reports from various paramedics that arrived on scene was that there were no serious injuries or fatalities,” he said.
“The building was sealed off to shop owners who were trying to get inside their businesses to get stock. The other parts of the building was also attended to by police and specialised units.”
Watch:
Fire Erupts at China Mall Springfield Park in Durban: Quick Response by Emergency Services
In a dramatic incident today, a massive fire broke out at China Mall Springfield Park in Durban, engulfing parts of the popular shopping complex known as China City. Firefighters from… pic.twitter.com/2kB7rQSy8K
— SA REPORTS (@MARIUSBROODRYK) November 22, 2023
He said shop owners were concerned that news of the fire could spread and lead to looting.
In 2019, a woman fell to her death at the premises while fleeing protesters. Anitha Premdaw fell through perspex on the mall roof. Mount Moriah resident Premdaw, 48, who fell 5m, had recently been employed as a cleaner. She died of her injuries at the scene, while a person with her broke a leg when she also jumped.
In a separate fire, in January last year, the China Emporium was completely gutted. The building, located in the western side of the Durban Central Business District, was extensively damaged.
A structural engineer’s report received days after the fire recommended that the entire building be demolished. eThekwini Municipality confirmed that a decision to demolish the structure was undertaken to recover R28 million from the developer.
Following the blaze, the building owner, Zoloscore Investments (Pty) Ltd was directed to demolish the structure within six months however, this was not done.
“Due to non-action by the owners, the municipality approached court for the demolition of the building to be granted through a court order,” the City said in a statement in August.
-IOL
In other news – Muvhango cast and crew go unpaid again
The popular SABC2 Tshivenda soapie, Muvhango, is facing ongoing financial issues, with reports indicating that actors and crew members have once again not received their payments. Despite being on a production break, individuals involved in the show claim that they have not been compensated for their work prior to the break.
According to inside sources, the production break follows the completion of Season 24, during which the cast and crew anticipated receiving their payments for work done in September. Read More
