Fire breaks out in Durban skyscraper building

Fire and emergency teams are on the ground in the Durban CBD extinguishing a fire that broke out in a high rise building on Monty Naicker Street (Field Street) on Thursday morning. Picture: Supplied/ Trauma911

Fire and emergency teams are on the ground in the Durban CBD extinguishing a fire that broke out in a high rise building on Monty Naicker Street (Field Street) on Thursday morning. Picture: Supplied/ Trauma911

Published Oct 5, 2023

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Dark coloured smoke mushroomed above the Durban central business district on Thursday morning, after a fire broke out in a building on Monty Naicker Street, formerly Field Street, emergency services confirmed.

Images and videos circulating the internet show paramedics and the eThekwini Fire and Emergency services on scene tending to the fire.

Although unconfirmed by authorities in the City, it is understood from information on the ground that the fire broke out at the coin exchange building with the blue glass frames.

According to sources on the ground, the fire was on the fourth floor in the electrical room.

The fire has since been extinguished while the electricity department was also on the ground to cut the power supply to the building.

There were reportedly no injuries or deaths.

The building is called the Southern Life Building, a 26-storey structure completed in 1985, according to skyscrapercenter.com.

It is the second tallest building in Durban.

Video footage showed that traffic was still going past the burning building despite poor visibility caused by the smoke.

The Durban Central fire department extinguished the fire.

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