There goes another Kuga

"There were flames everywhere. I've never seen anything like it."

This was how a Johannesburg building caretaker described the latest Ford Kuga fire.

The Kuga caught alight as its owner parked it at Lofts@66 in the Johannesburg city centre yesterday.

Caretaker Vincent Mabuya was in his office when security guards came running to call him.

"I didn't know what they were talking about at first. They were saying there was a fire. I thought that the building was on fire."

Mabuya grabbed a fire extinguisher and ran to the parking area.

"There were people everywhere. I could see a woman, who was the driver, crying. There were flames and smoke coming from the engine."

Mabuya, with the help of others, extinguished the blaze.

"It was very scary. I am glad no other cars caught alight."

This latest fire brings the number of Kugas that have burst into flames in South Africa to 51. Of these, at least 15 caught fire this month. News of the spate of fires first appeared in The Times.

The National Consumer Commission has ordered Ford to recall the vehicles.

Ford says the fires are caused by a faulty coolant system but other investigators have pointed to faulty fuel-line systems and electrical problems.