Johannesburg - The fire at Jumbo Cash and Carry in Crown Mines has been extinguished and fire crews are currently “damping-down” the site, Massmart has said.
Several firefighters worked for hours to douse the raging inferno, which started at around 5am on Thursday morning.
All night shift employees were safely evacuated and were fully accounted for and there were no injuries reported.
The spectacle caught the attention of curious spectators who congregated outside the building from as early as 6am to witness the commotion.
“The store has been extensively damaged, including structural damage, and will be rebuilt. We anticipate that the store will re-open toward the end of 2016,” a statement released on Thursday said.
“(Employees) will be accommodated elsewhere within the group during the rebuild. We are currently making arrangements to serve our customers through alternative channels. This includes servicing customers from a Jumbo Cash & Carry Warehouse in Fordsburg, which is in close proximity to the store.”
Massmart said their insurers, the fire department and police would conduct a full investigation into the cause of the fire after the site has been declared safe.
“We would like to thank the Johannesburg Fire Department crews on the scene, who were led by acting District Chief Jacques Malan, for their incredible effort in fighting the fire.,” the company said.
Massmart had earlier estimated the value of the stock in the store at the time of the fire at R100 million but said that the store, assets and stock were fully insured.
IOL and The Star