A fire ripped through a panel- beating workshop in Fort Jackson near East London on Saturday night, destroying 15 vehicles with a combined value of R1.6-million.
The vehicles were waiting to be fixed. The blaze also damaged one side of a mortuary next to the workshop.
Workshop owner Saleem Akhter said the fire mysteriously started shortly after 8pm while he and his wife, Pamela, were away.
An employee who lives on the property called Akhter informing him of the blaze, which was alleged to have started following a loud explosion from the roof.
“We rushed back and tried to put the fire out with buckets of water. The fire brigade was called, but by the time they arrived it was too late,” Akhter said, adding it was a massive loss.
“We suspect someone set the workshop alight. We have opened a case with the police.”
Akhter said the business was uninsured. The owners of the vehicles have been informed and “they seemed to understand”.
“The cause of fire cannot be an electrical fault because we don’t have electricity here,” Akhter said. “We use a generator to operate the business.”
A manager at Zusive Funeral Services, Zukiswa Sam, said the fire gutted two cold storage rooms, causing damage to the value of about R100000.
The Mercedes-Benz hearse was also damaged.
Sam said there had fortunately been no bodies in the morgue.
Akhter said police from the Inyibiba police station were now investigating the incident. He pleaded with anyone with information regarding the fire to approach the police to assist with the investigation. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Fire destroys cars worth R1.6m
The vehicles were waiting to be fixed. The blaze also damaged one side of a mortuary next to the workshop.
Workshop owner Saleem Akhter said the fire mysteriously started shortly after 8pm while he and his wife, Pamela, were away.
An employee who lives on the property called Akhter informing him of the blaze, which was alleged to have started following a loud explosion from the roof.
“We rushed back and tried to put the fire out with buckets of water. The fire brigade was called, but by the time they arrived it was too late,” Akhter said, adding it was a massive loss.
“We suspect someone set the workshop alight. We have opened a case with the police.”
Akhter said the business was uninsured. The owners of the vehicles have been informed and “they seemed to understand”.
“The cause of fire cannot be an electrical fault because we don’t have electricity here,” Akhter said. “We use a generator to operate the business.”
A manager at Zusive Funeral Services, Zukiswa Sam, said the fire gutted two cold storage rooms, causing damage to the value of about R100000.
The Mercedes-Benz hearse was also damaged.
Sam said there had fortunately been no bodies in the morgue.
Akhter said police from the Inyibiba police station were now investigating the incident. He pleaded with anyone with information regarding the fire to approach the police to assist with the investigation. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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