The burnt shell of the Toyota Yaris can be seen parked amid the rubble of the Ramdial household’s garage, which burnt down on Monday morning. Picture: Jehran Naidoo/Independent Media
Durban – A family from Chatsworth, Durban will enter the festive season in dampened spirits after a section of their house, two of their vehicles and other valuables were destroyed in a fire in the early hours of Monday.
It is suspected someone entered the garage in the early hours to steal valuables from inside the garage, where a Toyota Yaris and Hyundai were parked.
The Yaris was not insured.
A neighbour on Lenny Naidu Drive caught the suspect on CCTV, entering and leaving the garage.
Soon afterwards, the garage was in flames.
The garage section and two cars from the Ramdial household in Chatsworth were burnt down on Monday morning. A drug addict or "sugarboy" broke in and stole a bicycle shortly before the blaze started. It is not confirmed if the suspect started the fire. pic.twitter.com/6M73urbiv3
— Jehran Daniel (@JehranD) November 21, 2022
Several sources, including ANC MP Brandon Pillay, confirmed the CCTV footage exists and the suspect was seen leaving the garage. However, the cause of the fire will need to be determined by the authorities.
Anguished owner Clive Ramdial spoke to IOL on Monday morning while sifting through the charred rubble.
“He will probably sell the bicycle for a couple hits, and we lost so much. The tires weren’t even inflated, it was worth nothing,” Ramdial said. He believed the suspect was a drug user.
The fire was seen by Ramdial, a long-distance truck driver, and neighbours at about 2am on Monday.
“I was in the bathroom getting ready for work. Then I noticed something coming from the window at the back of the garage. When I came up to the garage I saw the place on fire,” Ramdial added.
The roof of the garage caved in as the flames took hold, and firefighters were seen battling the blaze.
In addition, the garage door was bent inwards, which is where Ramdial believed the suspect entered.
IOL contacted the City’s Fire Department spokesperson for details on the fire and is awaiting their feedback.
Tools, cars and memories were destroyed in the Blaze, Ramdial said.
“This was that normal Chatsworth government house. Over the years my dad and I built the house to what it was,” he said.
“The worst part was the fact that I couldn’t do anything but watch,” he added.
Ramdial’s father died recently after falling ill.
IOL