“Everything Is Burning”: Historic Komani Hall Gutted by Fire, SA Suspects Foul Play

• The Old Komani Hall in the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality went up in a cloud of smoke on Friday night
• Officers are still investigating the extent of the damage to the property but so far no suspects have been named in the case
• South Africans expressed their concerns on social media with many peeps worried the fire could have been started intentionally

The historic Komani Town Hall in the Eastern Cape went up in smoke on Friday evening. It's reported police patrols spotted the burning building while out on their nightly patrols.

A source says all municipal offices located on the premises have been burnt beyond recognition, News 24 reports. It's also been difficult for officers to confirm the exact damage to the property given its unsound structure.

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"It's still risky for anyone to get inside the structure," said spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana.

Check out this video of the fire:

So far no suspects have been named in the case. No injuries were reported.

Taking to the social media streets with clips and pics of the dramatic incident, peeps are sure some organised crime unit is behind the recent fires at key points in SA.

Check out some of the comments below:

@TNM_85 said:

"Everything is burning, wow."

@LesMph said:

"Arson."

@Thula16088983 said:

"No way this person needs to be caught before they get to our favourite picnic spot in Pretoria."

"Babylon is falling": Waterkloof Air Force Base fire contained by SANDF

In related crime news, Briefly News previously reported that last night (23 January), the Air Force Base in Waterkloof, Pretoria caught alight around 7pm, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) reported.

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SANDF contain and investigate Waterkloof Air Force Base fire: "Babylon is falling"

Brigadier-General Andries Mahapa, a spokesperson for SANDF, said that the fire began at the base's bulk fuel depot. Mahapa confirmed that there was no structural damage to any part of the base.

According to TimesLIVE, the SANDF has launched an investigation into the fire to ascertain what caused it and the total cost of repairs.

Investigation into the incident

News24 reports that the investigation into the fire is being overseen by Lieutenant-General Wiseman Mbambo, the Chief of the South African Air Force. Mbambo is investigating the extent of the damage caused by the blaze and no foul play is suspected at this stage.

The SANDF is waiting for Mbambo's investigation to be completed before releasing details to the public. However, Mahapa applauded firefighters for extinguishing the blaze within an hour.

Source: Briefly News