A hearse transporting a corpse went up in flames in Paarl, Western Cape, on Saturday morning.

Both the hearse and the corpse were destroyed, said Drakenstein municipality spokesperson Riana Geldenhuys.

“Drakenstein municipality’s fire services responded to a fire call involving a hearse at 8.14am … in Broadway Street in Paarl East,” said Geldenhuys.

“When the firefighting vehicle and firefighters arrived on the scene they discovered that the hearse, with a body of a deceased person in a coffin inside, was on fire. They went on to extinguish the fire as speedily as possible.”

Geldenhuys said the hearse was severely damaged in the fire.

“The hearse suffered significant damage, while the body of the person also burnt,” she said.

“No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is unknown, and is being investigated by the SA Police Service.”

TimesLIVE