Parco Sniffs Remains Out

BLOEMFONTEIN – What initially appeared to be a devastating fire at a building in Bloemfontein’s CBD has taken a tragic turn following the discovery of human remains in the rubble.

The fire broke out at a building in St Andrews Street, also known as China City, during the early hours of Sunday, 23 August 2026. The Mangaung call centre received an alert at approximately 03:49, prompting fire and rescue teams to immediately respond to the scene.

Firefighters worked tirelessly to contain the blaze and remained at the scene to conduct damping-down operations and extinguish remaining hotspots. Due to the extent of the damage and the unstable condition of the structure, emergency personnel first had to ensure that the building was safe before law-enforcement officials could enter.

Once the building had been declared safe, the search for possible victims began.

Among those called upon to assist was Warrant Officer Swannie Swanepoel, a Search and Rescue Dog handler, together with his four-year-old Belgian Shepherd, Parco.

As the search team carefully worked through the rubble, Parco did what he was trained to do. The highly trained search and rescue dog indicated an area of interest beneath the debris. His handler immediately investigated the indication, leading to the discovery of what appeared to be human remains.

The circumstances surrounding the fire and the identity of the deceased are still subject to investigation. The remains will be subjected to the necessary forensic processes to establish the identity of the victim. The cause of the fire also remains under investigation, and relevant law-enforcement agencies will continue with their respective investigations.