Councillor to launch investigation into Clairwood’s latest fire scare
The cause of the fire is not yet confirmed, but it was alleged by the community that flammable chemicals are stored on the premises of the said warehouse.
THE community of Clairwood was struck by yet another concerning fire on Wednesday, 29 January.
The blaze erupted at a warehouse, spreading to the Clairwood Shree Siva Soobramonior Temple, causing partial damage to the historic and religious heritage site which were set to host a Thaipusam Kavady ceremony a day before the fire. “The fire started at the warehouse and spread to our premises, however, there was no damage to the temple as such. It was the storage room in our dining hall that suffered minimal damage to the roof in the ordeal and there is also some smoke damage to the hall and feeding area but it is not extensive,” said temple trustee, Ricky Naidoo.
READ: Clairwood temple damaged in blaze
The temple recently celebrated 130 years and is a prime religious monument for the local Hindu community and assures the surrounding community that all is in order. Fortunately, the religious ceremony was able to go ahead despite the close call.
The cause of the fire is not yet confirmed, but it was alleged by the community that flammable chemicals are stored on the premises of the said warehouse. Clairwood ward 32 PR councillor, Sharmaine Sewshanker, was up in arms and summoned an oversight with the DA Safety, Emergency and Security Committee on Friday, 31 January, to assess the incident as well as other pressing issues in the area.
Upon arriving at the premises of the warehouse, Sewshanker and the committee were turned away by employees and shut the gates, claiming that they were not allowed on the premises without “the necessary arrangements”.
“As the safety, emergency and security committee, it is our responsibility as city councillors to conduct oversight. The owner of the premises was very rude as we only wanted to inspect the extent of the damages so that we could discuss how such disaster can be averted in future. This will enable us to put forward questions to council. The owner asking us to leave his premises gives us the impression that he has something to hide. But we respect his wishes. We will wait for the results of the investigation into the causes of the fire by the fire department.
READ: Clairwood councillor tackles business regulations following temple blaze
“I am very concerned that businesses in the Clairwood area are not being properly regulated. A business application does not necessarily mean that you have been granted authorisation to go ahead and run the business. We cannot afford to have flammable substances and chemicals stored in warehouses and business premises without the necessary safety regulations in place. We have had too many incidents of fire in the South Durban Basin already. The safety of our residents in Clairwood is of utmost importance,” said Sewshanker.
She further confirmed that she will be engaging with the business licensing department to put in motion a full investigation into all illegal businesses in the Clairwood area.
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