Solly’s Corner has been closed indefinitely after the popular Johannesburg eatery went up in flames on Tuesday evening.
Solly’s Corner: What caused the fire?
Fire and rescue teams were deployed to the corner of Bree and Central Road in Fordsburg, JHB, at approximately 19:00, after eyewitnesses saw plumes of smoke permeating from the popular hangout.
In a statement to The Citizen, City of Joburg’s fire and rescue spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi confirmed that while no casualties were reported, “a number of patients were treated for smoke inhalation and also there were no injuries that were reported during this fire incident.”
Mulaudzi added that, at this juncture, no information is available on the cause of the fire and foul play has yet to be established.
“At this stage, the cause of the fire incident is still a subject of investigations,” he said.
According to private security firm Vision Tactical, however, fire experts may look to Solly’s Corner as the area where the fire started.
“Initial reports from members on the ground is that the fire started at the popular Solly Corners take away. Medical teams, law enforcement fire and rescue were at the scene for further investigations,” the security group wrote in a tweet.
What was once a staple in central Joburg’s fast food industry was reduced to ashes on Tuesday evening.
Solly’s Corner was established in 1957 by first-generation middle-eastern immigrants. Between the 1950s and 70s, the fast food eatery, renowned across the province for its quality street food, served Indian and Pakistani communities in the Oriental Plaza district.
However, four generations later, the business relocated to the high-traffic streets of Fordsburg, where it etched itself into central Joburg’s nightlife. Solly’s Corner was the perfect place to find the best of South African street food, and on Tuesday, the establishment’s status as a premium grub hub went up in flames.
Here’s how social media reacted to the Solly’s Corner inferno: