Suspects say they were cooking on braai stand
While victims of the fire that ravaged 49 cars at the Toyota Gazoo Racing 1 000 Kalahari Botswana Desert Race in Jwaneng on Sunday continue to lament their losses, Jwaneng Police have revealed that it was indeed the actions of two hungry men that set the entire parking lot alight.
Although reports initially said that the fire was caused by a food vendor, Jwaneng Police Station Commander, Superintendent Thuso Basuti, explained in an exclusive interview with The Voice Newspaper that the two men, aged 34 and 42 years, had been cooking food over a braai stand when a piece of burning charcoal fell to the ground and immediately caught on to the grass around them.
“They claim that they tried to put it out but failed as the fire quickly gutted the dry grass,” he said.
The panic-stricken men fled the scene as the entire parking lot turned into a cloud of ash, taking down a total of 49 cars.
The guilt got to them later that afternoon and they confessed their sins to Jwaneng Police Station.
On Wednesday, Superintendent Basuti informed this publication that the two men, who happen to be residents of Jwaneng where the tragedy took place, had been released from police custody while investigations continue.
“We will be relying on the relevant bodies to advise us on what possible charges the men will face in such an instance,” he said.
Jwaneng Police have not reported any casualties from the incident.