A BRITISH tourist in South Africa has been charged with the murder of another Briton in a suspected arson attack on Table Mountain. The fire has now spread to suburban areas.
The 36-year-old man, from London, is said to have started a fire at the popular beauty spot in Cape Town yesterday afternoon, which killed a 65-year-old woman who was also a British tourist.
She had been walking on the lower reaches of the mountain with her daughter shortly before 4pm, when they saw smoke.
“They were walking towards the smoke and the elderly lady lost control. She fell to the ground and caught fire. Her body was taken to the Salt River mortuary,” Senior Superintendent Tummi Golding said.
The suspect, who has not been named, was arrested at 6pm local time and charged with culpable homicide and arson on information provided by the dead woman’s daughter, who was not hurt. He will appear in court this morning.
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The suspect was believed to have been in a group of hikers and had been seen walking around in a daze. It is not known how the fire was started, or if the suspect knew the woman who died.
Three German tourists were understood to have been rescued after becoming trapped on the mountain and two other Britons were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Others were feared missing.
The fire was still burning last night on the lower slopes and had begun to spread to the suburb of Higgovale. Homes in the area were being evacuated and it was feared that if the fire was not brought under control by night it could spread further.
Helicopters using water buckets were trying to contain the blaze, which fire officials said was being fed by high winds sweeping up Signal Hill.
Cleeve Robertson, the head of Metro Rescue Services, said: “The fires are just burning all over the place. They started at about 3.30 this afternoon and literally jumped from one mountain to another.”