The Mangaung call centre received an alert about the fire in St Andrews Street at about 03:49 on Sunday (23/8). Fire and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene to assess the situation and contain the blaze, said acting Mangaung spokesperson Nicolette Maysiels.

Firefighters managed to contain the fire and remained at the building to conduct damping-down operations and extinguish remaining hotspots.

Damage

Maysiels said emergency personnel would ensure the building and surrounding area were safe before investigators were allowed to enter and examine the scene.

No casualties were reported, said the police. The extent of the damage has not yet been confirmed, and the cause of the fire remains unknown. Relevant law-enforcement agencies are expected to begin their investigations once emergency services have declared the scene safe for examination.The municipality has asked members of the public to avoid the affected section of the CBD while fire crews and law-enforcement officials continue working. Residents and motorists have also been urged not to obstruct emergency personnel as they complete operations around the building.

The building, also known as China City, was previously damaged by a major fire in 2022. Firefighters struggled for several hours to extinguish that blaze because some shop owners were still inside when the fire started, and crews first had to ensure everyone could safely leave.

The 2022 fire spread while emergency personnel were evacuating people from the building. Firefighters also had to extinguish flames on the roof and cool the walls before teams could safely enter the structure and tackle the remaining fire inside.

The police were called during the earlier incident after some members of the public began looting shops while firefighters were battling the blaze. Large quantities of water were required to cool the structure before emergency teams could enter and ensure the fire had been completely extinguished.

Authorities have not yet indicated whether Sunday’s fire caused structural damage or affected businesses operating from the building. Further details are expected once the scene has been assessed and investigators have established where and how the fire started.

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