Free State town loses new fire engine

A newly-acquired, bright-red fire engine belonging to the Ngwathe municipality in Parys, in the Free State, has disappeared, the Volksblad newspaper reported on Thursday.

   

Municipal officials reportedly discovered that the Toyota Land Cruiser fire-fighter was missing on Tuesday night.

   

"There is no sign of a break-in, or that there was tampering with the locks of the building," the report quoted Free State police spokesman Constable Peter Kareli as saying.

   

The police were investigating a vehicle theft charge.

   

Part of the investigation was that the vehicle's keys were left inside it most of the time.

   

The Volksblad reported that the vehicle was given to the municipality by the Fezile Dabi district municipality last year,

 

when it was handed over with much fanfare and local media coverage.

   

The newspaper reported that it could not obtain comment from the municipality.

 

-Sapa