Cape Town - A spate of veld fires in the Cape has claimed the life of one person.
An unidentified body was found in one of the carriages of a train that caught alight at the Fish Hoek railway station on Thursday.
Liezl Moodie from the the City’s Safety and Security Directorate said the body was spotted after firefighters responded to reports of a vegetation fire which had spread to the railway station.
The vegetation fire was spreading towards the mountain slopes.
“Three helicopters were water bombing the area, while firefighters from the City and Table Mountain National Parks were on scene”, Moodie said.
Technicians from the country’s commuter transport operator, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, were called to the scene to isolate the electricity.
Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said the train was travelling between Sunny Cove and Glencairn when it caught fire just after 10am.
“A body has been found in the burnt-out section of the train, but information with regards to the deceased is unknown at this stage,” said Van Wyk.
“An inquest docket has been opened for investigation.”
Metrorail’s Riana Scott urged the public to report suspicious or criminal activity in or around trains.
“Metrorail increased its reward for information to R100 000, guaranteeing full anonymity to anyone providing information to secure a conviction.”
You can call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or SMS 32211.
Meanwhile, a fire that has been raging on Simonsberg since Tuesday could deal a serious blow to the Boland wine industry.
The blaze has already destroyed 2 500 hectares of fynbos and seriously damaged vineyards.
Daily Voice