Workers of a popular fish and chips shop at the East London Esplanade were forced to flee the building after it caught fire.
Fishaways operation manager Slade Lee said the fire broke out at about 10am this morning.
Fishaways is situated in a strip of fast food outlets below the Kennaway Hotel.
“The fish fryer thermostat set fire to the oil and the manager threw a fire blanket on it, but the blanket caught alight. He then tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher, but it flared up again.”
Lee, who arrived at the takeaway moments after two fire-engines responded to the blaze, said the manager on duty, Gilbert Tembo, was a “hero”.
“He saved the shop and the staff,” he said.
Tembo said there were no customers in the store when the chip fryer caught fire. He instructed four staff members to evacuate the store. “Everyone was calm,” he said.
Workers flee fish and chips shop blaze in East London
Workers of a popular fish and chips shop at the East London Esplanade were forced to flee the building after it caught fire.
Fishaways operation manager Slade Lee said the fire broke out at about 10am this morning.
Fishaways is situated in a strip of fast food outlets below the Kennaway Hotel.
“The fish fryer thermostat set fire to the oil and the manager threw a fire blanket on it, but the blanket caught alight. He then tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher, but it flared up again.”
Lee, who arrived at the takeaway moments after two fire-engines responded to the blaze, said the manager on duty, Gilbert Tembo, was a “hero”.
“He saved the shop and the staff,” he said.
Tembo said there were no customers in the store when the chip fryer caught fire. He instructed four staff members to evacuate the store. “Everyone was calm,” he said.
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