Fire destroys Little Elephant tourist centre in Middelburg

It was a night of freezing winter destruction and heartache for the traders at the Little Elephant/Ndlovu Encane Art & Craft Market, on the Midway Inn property in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.

The Middelburg Observer reports that almost all the buildings in the centre were destroyed overnight.

The facility consisted of colourful, thatched arts and crafts stalls surrounding a sunken amphitheatre used for cultural song and dance performances on special occasions offering three cultural huts showcasing the traditions of the Ndebele, Tsonga and Zulu.

The local job creation project offered an opportunity to local artists and crafters to practise their work in the traditional huts.

Flames engulfed the buildings at Little Elephant. Almost all of them were destroyed.

Firemen try to stop the fire from spreading.

Firemen carry out valuables to save it from the fire.

Shocked onlookers look at their destroyed shops.

As the sun rose, the devastation was clear.

Pictures: Middelburg Observer.