A huge fire broke out on Thursday evening in the Durban's AB Xuma (Commerical) Street. Picture: Shelley Kjonstad/African News Agency/ANA
Johannesburg – A huge fire broke out in a building, understood to be a food outlet, on Durban’s AB Xuma (Commercial) Street on Thursday evening.
Circumstances surrounding the fire were sketchy, but the eThekwini Fire and Rescue Services raced to the scene to douse the flames.
It is understood that the fire started around 5.30pm in a building understood to be behind the local Ultra Liquors store.
In video footage shot by African News Agency photojournalist Shelley Kjonstad, scores of people could be seen watching on as a fire rescue vehicle attended to the fire.
It is unclear if those living in nearby buildings have been evacuated from there buildings.
It was also not clear if there were any injuries as a cause of the fire.
Calls to local authorities including the Durban Metro Police were not immediately successful.
The fire in Durban came as President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his State of the Nation Address at the Cape Town City Hall.
Parliament itself was a victim of a massive fire in January, which forced the staging of the Sona to be moved to the City Hall as the National Assembly was gutted in that fire.
Fires have become a regular occurrence in South Africa in recent times.
Fire: Durban CBD this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/mZeFQEOnqi
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) February 10, 2022
Another building on fire in the Durban CBD! Hope nobody is injured 😭🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/6wS8gBLMvL
— Cllr Sakhile Mngadi 🇿🇦 (@Sakhilemngadi) February 10, 2022
Another Durban building on fire 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QmjKqx9hG2
— Le qai (@moetioamon) February 10, 2022
In July, parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were engulfed in fire and rampant looting. Several major shopping centres, stores and distribution hubs were set alight as looters at the time, called for the release of former president Jacob Zuma.
Closer to Durban, just weeks ago, the China Emporium on Pixley ka Seme (West) Street in the Durban CBD was also set alight and burnt for days before the flames were doused. Circumstances surrounding the fire have yet to be determined.
The fire at the China Emporium affected several businesses in the area who complained about reduced foot traffic in the area following road closures.
A report in The Mercury quoted a businessman saying the fire at the China Mall had caused nearby businesses to suffer.
Clothing store manager Berhane Girmiso told The Mercury in January: “Today I opened the shop at 8.30am, and it is now 11am there has not been any customer. I might as well just close the shop until the roads are open and the mall is not burning any more,” he said. | IOL