One suspect arrested after allegedly torching Blue Train coach, two more on the run

THE inside of the coach that was damaged by the fire. Picture: Twitter

THE inside of the coach that was damaged by the fire. Picture: Twitter

Published Feb 8, 2022

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Pretoria - Arsonists set a coach on the Blue Train alight, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, at the company’s Engineering facility at Koedoespoort, in Pretoria, Transnet said in a statement.

“Transnet SOC Ltd (Transnet) is investigating the cause of a fire, which broke out in a coach of the Blue Train early on Tuesday morning, while the train was in for repairs at the company’s Engineering facility in Koedoespoort,” said Transnet spokesperson Ayanda Shezi.

“Three suspects were seen fleeing the scene. One person was apprehended by Transnet security personnel and handed over to the police.

“Two other suspects are still at large,” added Shezi.

The coach that was set alight was involved in a derailment last November and had been at Koedoespoort for repairs.

“Transnet has almost completed the investigation into the cause of the November derailment and, as such, today’s incident will not impact the investigations,” said Shezi.

— Karin Morrow (@rinmor) February 8, 2022

Lately, arson incidents have been on the rise.

Several buildings, including Parliament and the nearby St George’s Cathedral, have recently been set alight by arsonists.

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