Demmy Mushrooms was burned to the ground on Friday, 9 September 2022, and suspicion is rife that the plant’s boycotting workers may have had something to do with the alleged arson attack.
Demmy Mushrooms fire believed to be arson
As reported by News24, Durban police leading the inquest into the cause of the fire are looking at arson being the possible motive behind the fire that torched the mushroom manufacturing plant in eShongweni, Durban.
In a statement, Durban police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo revealed that while fire experts had yet to issue an official report on the cause of the fire, early investigations suggest the blaze broke out of the store room and progressed toward the “growing room, packaging and dispatch department.”
Onlookers watched on in horror from outside as thick plumes of dark smoke permeated from the plant.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident.
According to Constable Ngcobo, the investigation has turned to a group of disgruntled workers as possible culprits behind the Demmy Mushrooms fire.
This comes after social media has been abuzz with speculation regarding an alleged wage strike taken up by some staff members.
At this time, however, the report is precisely that, an unverified piece of information circulating online.
At the time this article was published, our attempt to confirm the existence of a wage strike at Demmy Mushrooms and the persons behind it, as well as their demands, had not been successful.
Thus far, no arrests have been made, and investigations continue. According to the cited publication, Denny Mushrooms is cooperating with authorities in getting to the bottom of the fire that gutted one of its three major manufacturing plants.
The unfortunate incident has forced the company to rely heavily on its Gauteng plant to meet short-term demand.
This is a developing story.
Here is footage of the inferno, caught on camera by onlookers outside Demmy Mushrooms in eShongweni.