Cape Town – Suspicion surrounds the recent destruction of the famous Mozambican holiday destination, Flamingo Bay Water Lodge in Inhambane, which burned to the ground over the weekend.
On Saturday, 3 October, the fire, fueled by strong winds, consumed the chalets at the resort. The entertainment area of the resort, however, remains in tact.
Although no injuries were reported, Inhambane local Mareina Rautenbach told Traveller24 "some of the guests lost belongings, including clothes and laptops".
Onlookers stood by helplessly as the fire consumed the 20 luxury casitas, built on stilts in the Indian Ocean.
Rautenbach shared the following images of the tragic incident with Traveller24:
According to Rautenbach, mosts of the guests staying at the lodge at the time were out watching the Rugby World Cup game , while the rest were evacuated when the fire started.
Guest were accommodated at the Andaca Lodge for the night, following the fire.
Rautenbach said speculation that locals started the fire due to an employment dispute are simply not true.
Inhambane locals are "like one big family. There are a lot of stories going around that locals set it on fire."
According to Rautenbach, Flamingo Bay Water Lodge and Barra Lodge owner Dave Law, sold the properties, with the change of ownership resulting in a number of job losses.
Police are investigating the cause of the fire.
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