While firefighters were battling a fire in the storeroom of the Skipper Bar clothing store at Mandeni Mall last night, residents took advantage of the chaos to loot it.

Store manager Mandla Zungu suspects an electrical fault in the mall may have triggered the fire.

Only the storeroom and roof were damaged. The fire did not reach the main display area but the looters emptied the store of its contents.

Zungu said clean-up operations were underway and he is preparing for a fresh start.

Mandeni Mall manager Deon Green-Thompson said they are investigating the cause of the fire.

Mandeni Mayor Thabani Mdlalose commended the swift response of the Mandeni emergency services team for containing the fire and preventing it from spreading.

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