Another One! Fire Engulfs Durban’s China Mall, Creating Citywide Alarm
A fierce fire erupted at the China Mall in Durban on Friday morning, shrouding the city centre in a thick veil of smoke.
ALSO READ: South Africa Mourns: 12 Children Among 74 Lives Lost in Devastating Johannesburg Fire
The structure is situated at 31 West Street within the heart of the central business district. It had previously suffered fire damage in January 2022, leading to its condemnation by the eThekwini Municipality due to safety concerns.
Fire RAzes Down Durban’s China Mall
Robert McKenzie, the spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services, reassured the public that no injuries or casualties were reported in the wake of the blaze. Firefighters battled the raging inferno, and investigations into its origin are still ongoing.
Social media is full of videos depicting the relentless billows of ebony smoke emanating from the flames in the early morning hours of 15 September. The third floor of the building was aglow with fierce yellow flames as it succumbed to the fire’s voracity.
🔥China Mall on West Street. Central fire on scene.
*As Recieved*
Durban KZN pic.twitter.com/7NY0BPg7OY— 🔞SA911 (@JustdoitZee) September 15, 2023
2022 bore witness to another tragic fire incident at China Mall, leaving local residents deeply shaken. This building also fell victim to the looting and vandalism that erupted during the July 2021 unrests. Protesters looted and set the building ablaze, resulting in millions of rands in damages.
Another Worrying Fire In South Africa
The China Mall fire exemplifies a worrying trend of fires in South Africa over the past few months. Johannesburg witnessed a heartbreaking fire on August 31, 2023. A fire razed through a five-storey building which had become an informal housing. At least 74 people perished while more than 50 sustained injured.
In June, a fire charred over 10 shacks, leaving two people burnt beyond recognition in a Zandspruit fire in Johannesburg.