BLOEMFONTEIN – A handful of shops in the vicinity of the fire-gutted commercial building in St Andrews Street in Bloemfontein’s CBD have been forced to close following a severe structural fire that occurred in the early hours of Sunday 23 August.

Shops in the same affected building, “Marabastad,” and those adjacent to it remain closed while the authorities, including police, remain on site as part of the investigation launched.

The fire destroyed certain shops operating from the privately owned building while others were partly affected by smoke. Some informal traders said they also lost their stock to the devastating fire.

Although the Mangaung Metro Fire and Rescue Services managed to extinguish the devastating blaze, smoke was still seen coming from the building. Nicolette Maysiels, acting spokesperson for the Mangaung Metro, said the fire and rescue services were promptly dispatched to the building after receiving an emergency call from the call centre.

“At this stage, there are no confirmed reports regarding the cause of the fire or extent of damage,” she said. Maysiels said relevant law-enforcement agencies will commence their investigations once the scene has been declared safe. The investigation will also determine the cause of the fire.

While no fatalities were reported, it has emerged that a female informal trader was missing. According to sources, she was among the number of people who apparently were sleeping in the fire-gutted building when the fire broke out. The individual was not present at her stall which is situated adjacent to the affected building. The metro is yet to confirm the ownership of the building affected by the fire.

Members of the public, motorists and pedestrians are urged to use alternative routes and avoid the section of St Andrews Street and Harvey Road which were closed due to the investigations in the incident.