One resident was burnt to death and 445 others left destitute when a fire ripped through an informal settlement in Doornbach near Milnerton.
The charred body of Vusymsi Mahshana, 36, was found under a pile of rubble once the fire was put out just after 4am on Tuesday.
It is believed he was caught unwares by the flames while sleeping and was then trapped under the wreckage when his shack collapsed.
Two children also suffered minor burns as residents tried to escape the fire.
Wilfred Solomons, a spokesperson for the City’s Disaster Management, said 166 shacks were destroyed, but that the victims had been given building materials to rebuild their structures on Tuesday.
The senior fire officer on the scene, Steve Abrahamse, said firemen had battled to extinguish the blaze for six hours before it was doused.
A total of 11 fire engines had been activated to extinguish the fire, which was called in just after midnight.
“One of our fire fighters suffered heat exhaustion and another one had to be treated for smoke inhalation while on duty,” he said.
In another shack fire in Philippi, just off Vanguard Drive, on Tuesday morning, a further 50 people were left homeless and 12 shacks burnt down. The cause of the blaze is being investigated. - Cape Argus
The charred body of Vusymsi Mahshana, 36, was found under a pile of rubble once the fire was put out just after 4am on Tuesday.
It is believed he was caught unwares by the flames while sleeping and was then trapped under the wreckage when his shack collapsed.
Two children also suffered minor burns as residents tried to escape the fire.
Wilfred Solomons, a spokesperson for the City’s Disaster Management, said 166 shacks were destroyed, but that the victims had been given building materials to rebuild their structures on Tuesday.
The senior fire officer on the scene, Steve Abrahamse, said firemen had battled to extinguish the blaze for six hours before it was doused.
A total of 11 fire engines had been activated to extinguish the fire, which was called in just after midnight.
“One of our fire fighters suffered heat exhaustion and another one had to be treated for smoke inhalation while on duty,” he said.
In another shack fire in Philippi, just off Vanguard Drive, on Tuesday morning, a further 50 people were left homeless and 12 shacks burnt down. The cause of the blaze is being investigated. - Cape Argus
No comments:
Post a Comment