Smit said what angered him is that the fire was started deliberately.
“It’s very painful to lose your possession like this, something t you worked hard for. Why did he do this? If he’s angry at someone, why not approach that person and not do this? We are suffering for things we know nothing about.”
According to eyewitnesses, a vagrant threw a petrol bomb at the garage and fled.
“We don’t know why he did this. We couldn’t talk to him because he ran away,” Anthony Pillay told TimesLIVE.
Residents were angry and said the vagrant was irresponsible because he did not check if was anyone was in the garage.
They said the entire garage, made from corrugated iron, was burning within minutes.
“We had children playing outside. What if one of them was in there and ended up trapped?” said resident Mark van der Walt.
Resident Sarrie van der Linden said she was battling to stomach what happened. Her car was not affected. She said she feels sorry for the people whose cars were destroyed.
She usually parks her car in the garage but on that day she parked outside.
“I thank whatever made me park outside. My son was outside playing with friends. When he saw the fire, he rushed inside for the keys and moved the car. I use thecar to provide for my family.”
No injuries were reported.
TimesLIVE
‘It’s very painful’: Newly purchased car destroyed in Joburg CBD fire
Reporter
Image: Belinda Pheto
On Thursday afternoon a fire gutted a garage in a block of flats in Vrededorp, central Johannesburg. Three vehicles were destroyed.
One vehicle belonged to Stoffel Smit, who had recently purchased the car.
“I had not used the car yet. I bought it and left it in the garage,” Smit told TimesLIVE.
He watched helplessly as firefighters tried to extinguish the blaze.
“There’s nothing left. My car is completely gone.”
Smit said he rushed home when he heard the garage was on fire, hoping he would get there in time to save his vehicle.
“When I got here the entire garage was burning. The area was black and covered in thick smoke. I started preparing myself that I might not be able to save my car.”
Image: Belinda Pheto
Smit said what angered him is that the fire was started deliberately.
“It’s very painful to lose your possession like this, something t you worked hard for. Why did he do this? If he’s angry at someone, why not approach that person and not do this? We are suffering for things we know nothing about.”
According to eyewitnesses, a vagrant threw a petrol bomb at the garage and fled.
“We don’t know why he did this. We couldn’t talk to him because he ran away,” Anthony Pillay told TimesLIVE.
Residents were angry and said the vagrant was irresponsible because he did not check if was anyone was in the garage.
They said the entire garage, made from corrugated iron, was burning within minutes.
“We had children playing outside. What if one of them was in there and ended up trapped?” said resident Mark van der Walt.
Resident Sarrie van der Linden said she was battling to stomach what happened. Her car was not affected. She said she feels sorry for the people whose cars were destroyed.
She usually parks her car in the garage but on that day she parked outside.
“I thank whatever made me park outside. My son was outside playing with friends. When he saw the fire, he rushed inside for the keys and moved the car. I use thecar to provide for my family.”
No injuries were reported.
TimesLIVE
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