By Nangamso Mabindla
11 January 2005

EAST LONDONONERS woke up to a black cloud on Tuesday, January 11 as one of its landmarks; the Aquarium on the beach front caught fire in the early hours of the morning.

Buffalo City Municipality Firefighters rushed to the scene and worked hard to limit damages that could have been caused by the blaze.

According to SAPS Disaster Management spokesperson Captain John Fobian, the source of the fire -which caused damage estimated at R1 million- was unknown. "We are still investigating to discover the cause of the fire; and where it started," Fobian said.

A visibly shaken, Chief Marine Services of the Aquarium Siani Tinley said the fire caused a lot of damage inside the premises. It also caused damage to Tinley's and her staff's offices, the reception area, and some artwork from local artists.

"Fortunately though, only one fish died - the rest survived; we're now going to move the existing fish to another place where they'll be safe," she added.

The Rocky Fish that died is only found in Eastern Cape and Tinley said it was an asset to the Aquarium. "It was one of our attractions; it's sad that it died but we'll try and replace it. But now we're looking to establish the cause of the fire and take it from there," she added.

Tinley thanked the city's fire department for controlling the fire before it caused a lot of damage. "Our penguins, pelicans and other animals are all safe; I think the firemen did a fantastic job," she concluded.