SIX FOREIGN NATIONALS DIE IN DEVASTATING EARLY-MORNING TSOMO SHOP FIRE
By Rea Gazette Reporter
TSOMO, EASTERN CAPE – A devastating fire that ripped through a business premises in Tsomo during the early hours of Tuesday morning has claimed the lives of six foreign nationals, while another man escaped with burn injuries.
The tragedy unfolded at approximately 03:40 on 28 July 2026, when members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) conducting routine patrols near the Tsomo Police Station heard what they described as a loud explosive sound.
Responding immediately, officers drove towards the source of the noise and detected a strong smell of smoke. They traced it to MAA Cash and Carry, a business located on Tsomo Main Street, where they found the building engulfed in flames.
Realising that several people were living in accommodation at the back of the shop, police officers rushed to the scene in an attempt to rescue those trapped inside. They were joined by private security personnel and members of the local community, who worked together in desperate efforts to gain access to the burning building.
Despite their combined rescue efforts, only one occupant managed to escape. The survivor sustained burn injuries and was transported to hospital for medical treatment. Six other occupants were unable to escape and died inside the burning building.
Firefighters later arrived on the scene and battled thick smoke, intense heat and rainy weather before eventually bringing the blaze under control. Once it was safe to enter the building, emergency teams recovered the bodies of all six victims.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS), SAPS members, Provincial Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), and members of the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) were among the emergency services that attended the scene to process the incident and begin investigations.
Police have confirmed that the deceased were identified by their employer as foreign nationals.
Reports emerging from Bangladesh identify all six victims as Bangladeshi nationals who were employed at the business and had been sleeping in living quarters inside the premises when the fire broke out. According to Bangladeshi media, seven workers were asleep at the time of the blaze, with only one surviving.
Authorities in Bangladesh say four of the deceased were from Alirtek Union in Narayanganj, one was from neighbouring Baktaboli Union, while another victim came from Rikabibazar in Munshiganj District. Local officials there indicated that many of the victims were relatives, and their families have been left devastated by the tragedy.
Bangladeshi media have identified four of the deceased as:
- Md Faisal (25)
- Md Fahim (28)
- Shamim Hasan (30)
- Mohammad Apon (24)
The identities of the remaining two victims have not yet been officially released publicly by South African authorities.
According to officials in Bangladesh, the local administration had not yet received formal confirmation from South African authorities at the time of publication, while relatives awaited further information regarding the repatriation of the victims' remains.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
The South African Police Service has opened an inquest docket and says investigators are working to determine what sparked the deadly blaze. Police have indicated that no foul play is suspected at this stage, although the investigation remains ongoing.
Investigators are expected to examine the origin of the fire, the cause of the reported explosive sound heard by police shortly before the blaze was discovered, and whether the living quarters complied with applicable fire safety standards.
The tragedy has shocked both the Tsomo community and the Bangladeshi community in South Africa, with many awaiting answers as investigators continue their work.
Anyone with information that could assist investigators is encouraged to contact the South African Police Service.
#reagazette
#reamediahouseBREAKING NEWS ?
Six foreign nationals who were sleeping inside a shop in Tsomo, Eastern Cape, died after a fire broke out in the early hours of today.
According to uPhindiwe Fenisi, one person survived the incident.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
? Tuesday, 28 July 2026
#foreignnationals #UpdateNews #SadNewsChinhu chandinofarira kuma Zimbabweans ndechekuti vazhinji havana kumboda kupinda muma business ema Spaza shops .
Business racho ragara riri dangerous especially muma locations ndimo makazara pfuti .Varikuita vacho vanotorarama nekubhadhara ma protection fee every month.
Ma Somalians ,Ethiopians or Makula dambudziko ravo havadi kubatana nevamwe zvachose.Mazuva e Dudula we tried to reach them kuti tibatsirane vakaramba.
We proceeded ku court takabudirira tega takavharisa Dudula.
Saka hondo yavo nevemuno kuma Spaza shops hatipindire regai vapedzerane.Mazimba hatiko uku zvedu
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