Durban Firefighters Race to Rescue People Trapped Inside Burning Building Following Protests
- A building fire broke out in the Durban Central Business District on 8 October 2026 following violent protests
- Witnesses told SABC News that people had locked themselves inside shops when protesters approached
- The blaze formed part of a wider wave of violence linked to anti-illegal immigration protests near the refugee reception centre
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
KWAZULU-NATAL — Firefighters scrambled to reach people believed to be trapped inside a burning building in the Durban Central Business District, as thick smoke engulfed the structure and flames spread to multiple floors.
Emergency crews used heavy-duty machinery to breach the ground level of the building on the night of 8 October 2026. The fire department subsequently brought in additional water hoses and vehicles as the blaze continued to intensify and spread from the interior outward.
People locked inside as protesters ran amok
Witnesses at the scene told SABC News that when protesters began moving through the area earlier in the day, shop workers and patrons rushed inside and pulled down roller doors, locking themselves in for protection. That decision, made under duress, left an unknown number of people inside the building as the fire took hold.
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One woman who spoke to reporters identified herself as a South African shop owner. She said she had been forced to abandon her own store and flee, adding that protesters had made no distinction between foreign nationals and South African business owners in their rampage.
Several foreign nationals at the scene appeared visibly distressed, having endured what the reporter described as a traumatic situation that had unfolded since the afternoon.
A man who emerged from the building was briefly approached for comment but appeared too shaken to respond and showed signs of minor injuries. At the time of publication, the occupants had reportedly been freed.
The structure fire was one of several incidents in the Durban city centre connected to violent protests outside the Durban Refugee Reception Centre. Protesters had earlier set alight vehicles, a scrapyard, and other structures in the area before the unrest reached the building in question.
Similar scenes were experienced in Soweto as well.
US Consulate General warns of violence in Durban
The United States Consulate General Durban issued a security alert on 7 October 2026 over reports of looting and violence.
US government personnel were instructed to avoid the area and monitor updates in the media over the reported threats.
South Africans on social media disputed the claims, with some saying they witnessed no looting taking place on that day.
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Source: Briefly News
