More than 60 people were left without shelter when a fire destroyed 14 shacks at the Kosovo informal settlement in Philippi on Monday morning.
A resident, Nomathamsanqa Somandi, lost everything she owned. She said she had only managed to save herself and her children. Somandi said the fire had started in the shack next door to hers and when she realised her home was in danger it was too late for her to salvage anything.
All she could think of were her children.
Paul Myburgh, a firefighter at the scene, said the cause of the fire was unknown. Myburgh said the blaze had caused a lot of damage to residents' belongings and electrical wires, but no injuries had been reported.
A resident who declined to be named suspected an electric stove had been left on.
"Even when an electric stove is switched off, it does not shut completely unless it is unplugged," the resident said.
He added that their area was densely populated and that people needed to be extra careful with things that could cause fires.
Ward councillor Monwabisi Mbaliswano said the owner of the shack had been at work when the fire started. "The owner leaves at about 6am," Mbaliswano added.
Residents of Kosovo were now worried about living in a disaster area.
The department of housing had provided the affected families with material to rebuild their shacks and the Department of Social Services had provided them with food parcels, he said. - Cape Argus
A resident, Nomathamsanqa Somandi, lost everything she owned. She said she had only managed to save herself and her children. Somandi said the fire had started in the shack next door to hers and when she realised her home was in danger it was too late for her to salvage anything.
All she could think of were her children.
Paul Myburgh, a firefighter at the scene, said the cause of the fire was unknown. Myburgh said the blaze had caused a lot of damage to residents' belongings and electrical wires, but no injuries had been reported.
A resident who declined to be named suspected an electric stove had been left on.
"Even when an electric stove is switched off, it does not shut completely unless it is unplugged," the resident said.
He added that their area was densely populated and that people needed to be extra careful with things that could cause fires.
Ward councillor Monwabisi Mbaliswano said the owner of the shack had been at work when the fire started. "The owner leaves at about 6am," Mbaliswano added.
Residents of Kosovo were now worried about living in a disaster area.
The department of housing had provided the affected families with material to rebuild their shacks and the Department of Social Services had provided them with food parcels, he said. - Cape Argus
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