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Mossel Bay landmark destroyed
22/08/2007 09:50 - (SA)
Tisha Steyn and Sonika Johnston, Die Burger
Mossel Bay - One of the best-known tourism landmarks in Mossel Bay was severely damaged by a fire on Tuesday afternoon.
The fire started about 15:20 at the Santos Express guesthouse, restaurant and bar and destroyed the popular venue at one of the town's prettiest beaches.
Damages could run into millions of rand.
According to Hilda Swart, 29, an employee, there were about 10 staff members on duty when the fire broke out in the reception area.
Only one guest was booked into one of the cabins in the sleeping carriages, but he was not on the premises at the time of the fire. There were also two guests in the bar area.
According to Swart, staff tried to put out the flames with fire extinguishers, but when the fire spread, they evacuated the train.
Fire brigade praised
The fire brigade received a call at 15:23 and arrived at the scene shortly afterwards. They managed to stop the fire from spreading to the sleeping carriages, but the reception area, restaurant with its wooden deck and the bar with its ceiling of reeds, as well as part of the kitchen, were destroyed.
Only one corner of the deck remained where a table and chairs were still intact with a burnt umbrella still standing.
Acting fire chief Kobus van der Nescht said firemen managed to remove at least five 45kg gas canisters before they could explode. "When we arrived the whole place was already on fire. The wooden deck, reed ceiling and the wind fed the flames."
A bystander, who wanted to remain anonymous, praised the fire team for preventing the fire from spreading to the rest of the train.
By late afternoon, there were still three fire engines at the scene where firemen watched the smouldering rubble. Staff stood around in the cold, overcast weather. "The logbook with our overtime and shifts was also destroyed," said Swart.
The safe, the key of which had melted, was still in the rubble. A security company kept an eye overnight.
Allan Robertson, the owner, is a pilot and is presently in the USA and could not be reached for comment. He is expected to return home on Thursday.
Robertson also owns the Stonehill restaurant in Klein-Brak River.
Fire 'a tragedy'
"We saw smoke and flames coming from the front end of the train at about 15:00," said Harry Hill, spokesperson for the municipality, who has offices overlooking the train. "The fire then spread rapidly. There is only rubble left,"he said.
"The fire is a tragedy," said Louis Harris, marketing manager of the town's tourism bureau.
"Santos was a well-known tourism facility that received renewed attention since the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe started coming to Mossel Bay."
The Choo-Tjoe, which used to run between George and Mossel Bay, recently started running right up to the museum complex a few metres from the Santos Express.
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