The fire broke out at a building in St Andrews Street, also known as China City, during the early hours of Sunday (23/8). Fire and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene to assess the situation and contain the blaze.

Mangaung acting spokesperson Nicolette Maysiels said firefighters managed to contain the fire. Due to the extent of the damage and the unstable condition of the structure, emergency personnel first had to ensure that the building was safe before law-enforcement officials could enter.

Once the building had been declared safe, the search for possible victims began. Search-and-rescue dog handler WO Swannie Swanepoel was among those called to assist, together with his four-year-old Belgian Shepherd, Parco, said Free State police spokesperson Capt. Loraine Earle.

The remains were those of a women who was reported missing. The circumstances surrounding the fire and the identity of the deceased remain subject to investigation. 

Earle said the remains would undergo the necessary forensic processes to establish the identity of the victim. The cause of the fire also remains under investigation. Relevant law-enforcement agencies will continue with their investigations.

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. Emergency crews first had to ensure that everyone could safely evacuate the building.

“As the search team carefully worked through the rubble, Parco did what he was trained to do. The highly trained search-and-rescue dog indicated an area of interest beneath the debris. His handler immediately investigated the indication, leading to the discovery of what appeared to be human remains.”

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.

Police were called during the earlier incident after some members of the public allegedly 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 that the fire had been completely extinguished.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi sm

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