Criminal activity suspected as cause of Ultra City fire

Theft of fuel is suspected to be the cause of the fire at Ultra City, Umvoti toll yesterday and did not start in the Steers kitchen as first suspected.

IPSS Security’s Dylan Meyrick, one of the first at the scene, said they saw a small truck parked between two fuel tankers. The truck had what appeared to be large  liquid containers on the back, a water pump and pipes attached to one of the fuel tankers.

“One drop on a hot exhaust pipe was enough for the truck to catch on fire,” he said.

Meyrick said two badly burnt men had been picked up in Durban by the provincial ambulance service last night.

Emergency services left the fuel in the tanker to burn out.

Netcare911 spokesperson, Chris Botha said: “The tankers were extensively damaged. There was another vehicle that was parked in between the two tankers and its presumed that this vehicle was trying to decant the fuel out of the tankers, when the static electricity caused the fire to start. Although that will still be determined by investigations by fire and police services.”

IPSS Medical Response’s Paul Herbst said there was structural damage at the back of the building, heat damage in the front and the tankers and truck had been burnt.

Two houses behind Ultra City were burnt, one was razed to the ground.

The fire began at about 10.30am and was finally extinguished at 2pm.

Groutville residents heard explosions caused by gas bottles at the back, exploding.