BREAKING. Emergency SABC board meeting at the public broadcaster after massive fire engulfs SABC, destroys Isidingo and takes SABC3 off the air.

The SABC board held an urgent emergency board meeting hours ago this morning after fire raged through South Africa's public broadcaster last night, taking the one TV channel, SABC3 off the air for a while, and gutting Studio 6 in the Henley Studios complex, completely destroying the Isidingo soap set and causing tens of millions of rands worth of damage.

The SABC is in shock today after the blaze which took fire fighters, some of whom were overcome with smoke inhallation, more than three hours to get under control after it started just after 20:00 and which the SABC's internal fire control and extinguishing system couldn't put out.

The SABC's acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng who was on the scene of the blaze, said "this is something we don't know how to handle it, but I think we will get there."

The SABC board wanted to assess the impact of the damage caused by the fire that broke out in the Henley television production studios, and in a just-issued statement the SABC says the SABC board has "deep concern about the safety of all personnel and the possible disruption of scheduled programming on television."

Sully Motsweni, the SABC's group executive for risk and governance briefed the SABC board about the fire which was the largest the SABC has ever experienced at the public broadcaster's Auckland Park headquarters. She told the SABC board about the destruction of the fire and the contingency measures the SABC has put in place.

The SABC has offered trauma councelling to staff near the site at the time.

"In terms of production agreements we have with the producers, we have 6 weeks of material in advance, which should give us ample time to find alternative studios to produce forthcoming episodes of our popular soap, Isidingo," says the SABC.

"The other soaps, Muvhango and Generations, will not be affected, but production staff will not be able to enter the studios until the relevant authorities have declared the area safe. The cause of the fire is currently being investigated," says the SABC. Sully Motsweni is heading the SABC's internation inquiry, while authories are also investigating. Sully Motsweni is also in charge of the contingency plans that need to be put in place so that television production at the SABC can continue.

The SABC says the broadcaster wants to assure "our advertisers, viewers and listeners that our operations have not been affected. Our programmes and adverts will go on-air as scheduled."