Nine shops burn as mall catches fire
Pilane further said no casualties were reported as most of the shops were already closed.
WHITE RIVER -Emergency services were called to the Dayizenza Shopping Centre at about 20:00 on Saturday after a blaze had broken out.
It took the firefighters approximately four hours to prevent the fire from spreading through the 18 000 square metre shopping centre.
It has 54 shops, of which only nine were affected namely Hanan Traders, Debonairs Pizza , KFC, Markhams, Habib, Total Sports, Capitec, Legit, Edgars Active and Identit. Two of the shops were completely gutted.
Spokesman for the centre, Mr Oupa Pilane has confirmed that nine shops and three offices were affected.
“We are currently taking all the necessary safety precautions in consultation with the authorities, which have advised that we suspend trading until an assessment has been done to confirm that the balance of the centre can open to trade safely.
Pilane further said no casualties were reported as most of the shops were already closed.
“It is unfortunate that the fire is going to affect not only the workers but also the community in and around the centre. Residents now have to travel long distances to do their shopping.
The management and owners of Dayizenza would like to apologise to their entire community for the inconvenience caused by this unfortunate situation. The safety of the community is our primary concern at this time.”
The cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed. Capt Jerry Sibiya from the Nelspruit Local Criminal Record Centre confirmed that investigators were probing the possible cause of the fire.
