A fire broke out at the Bara taxi rank in Soweto on Wednesday morning, damaging three shops and causing significant property loss.Property owner Sydney Morake confirmed the fire started inside a supermarket that also sells and repairs electrical appliances.He suspects an electrical fault may have been the cause, though this has not been officially confirmed.Firefighters responded swiftly to the incident, which occurred around 5:30am.Morake noted the three shops, rented to verified Pakistani nationals, were not targeted during recent protests due to proper documentation checks.One shopowner described the fire as starting suddenly, with smoke and an explosion heard from the middle shop.

A nearby market stall owner suggested gas cylinders inside the shop may have intensified the blaze, explaining why the central shop suffered more damage.No injuries were reported, and Morake expressed concern over the costly repairs needed.The incident has prompted an investigation into the cause of the fire.