Saturday, January 19, 2013

Boy dies in shack fire

Cape Town - A boy was killed and 32 people left homeless in overnight fires across Cape Town, a city official said on Saturday.

Disaster risk centre spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said Carlton-Lee Botha, 3, was sleeping in a shack in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, when a fire started around 8am on Saturday.

Two people were displaced in the blaze.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, fires also spread through informal settlements in Belhar, Strand, Mfuleni and Gugulethu.

Solomons-Johannes said these fires left 10 people without homes.

On Friday evening, a fire destroyed five shacks at Potsdam road in Du Noon, Milnerton, displacing 20 people.

No injuries were reported.

Those affected had been assisted with food parcels, baby packs, clothing and building material.

The city asked residents to isolate electrical devices and extinguish gas burners, candles, lamps and paraffin stoves when not in use. 

- Sapa

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