A fire that engulfed several train coaches near Cape Town Railway Station on Tuesday evening, is under investigation by local authorities.
Spokesperson for the City’s Fire & Rescue Service, Jermaine Carelse, said services were called out to the scene for an emergency incident on Tuesday, at approximately 21:10. Carelse said upon assessment of the situation, additional resources were called out.
“The first arriving crews called in additional resources, including a type 4 Incident Management Team (IMT), to coordinate operations,” said Carelse.
Carelse said that technicians with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) were also called out to cut off electricity supply, as part of firefighting efforts.
The fire was extinguished just before midnight. It is said that at least 10 coaches were gutted in the fire.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
Western Cape police spokesperson, Frederick Van Wyk, said the damaged coaches were burned in similar incidents in the past. He added that a case of damage to infrastructure has been registered at Cape Town Central SAPS. Van Wyk is urging anyone with information to come forward.
Spokesperson for PRASA, Zino Mihi, confirmed that the agency is conducting its own investigation into the matter.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
ALSO READ: Cape Town fires spark concern over possible arson
Earlier that day, PRASA and Metrorail in the Western Cape announced plans to introduce additional trains on the Northern Line, from Strand to the city centre.
#NorthernLineCT
[ Media Release ] pic.twitter.com/4aShSWvsf8— Metrorail W/Cape (@MetrorailWC) March 11, 2025
