Fire at Bara taxi rank damages three shops

A fire affected three shops at the Bara taxi rank in Soweto on Wednesday morning.

Property owner Sydney Morake said he received a phone call early on Wednesday informing him his building was on fire.

“When I arrived, I found that the supermarket in the middle, which also sells and repairs electrical appliances, was where the fire had started,” he said.

Morake believes the blaze may have been caused by an electrical fault, although he stressed that that had not been confirmed.

“The fire started from inside the shop. Maybe it was an electrical fault with the wiring inside. I don’t know,” he said. Firefighters were on the scene. An investigation has begun.

Morake says he is bracing for a costly repair bill.

“It is devastating. I did not expect something like this, and now I will have to spend money repairing the property.”

Morake said the three shops were rented to verified Pakistani nationals who operate businesses from the premises. Responding to concerns that foreign-owned businesses have previously been targeted during protests, Morake said he had ensured his tenants had the necessary documentation before renting out the shops.

“That is why, during the March and March protests, I never received any threats against the shops or anything like that,” he said.

One of the shopowners, who asked not to be named, said he operates from a corner shop and was inside his business when the fire broke out.

“The fire started at about 5.30am. I just heard people outside shouting that there was a fire,” he said. “When I went outside, I saw the middle shop burning with smoke coming out.”

A woman who was setting up her market stall nearby said she did not see how the fire started.

“I just smelt smoke and then saw smoke coming from the middle shop. That’s when I realised the building was on fire,” she said.

She believes gas cylinders found inside the shop may have intensified the blaze. “I think the cylinders made the fire worse. That’s why the middle shop was damaged much more than the shops on either side,” she said, adding that she also heard what sounded like an explosion from inside the building.

No injuries were immediately reported.

TimesLIVE