/ 24 August 2005

Fire razes Shaik beachfront flat

Fraud and corruption convict Schabir Shaik and his wife, Zuleikha, were forced to evacuate their beachfront flat in Durban early on Wednesday due to a fire, emergency services personnel said.

The fire started at about 2.10am in the Yarningdale block of flats on the Marine Parade, said Trevor Stevens, the commander of eThekwini metro council’s fire division.

”Two bedrooms were damaged and there was smoke and heat damage to the rest of the flat,” Stevens said.

He said no one was injured and the caretakers of the building evacuated everyone as well as the upper half of the neighbouring block.

”It’s normal procedure to evacuate everyone,” Stevens said, adding the municipality’s officials were still investigating the cause of the fire. — Sapa