Tangles of blackened mattress springs, charred corrugated iron and sodden mounds of ash and debris.
This is virtually all that remains of at least 400 homes razed by a fire in the Joe Slovo informal settlement.
The fire broke out early on Monday and spread rapidly in the strong southeaster.
The shelters had been home to nearly 2 000 people.
About six hours after the blaze was put out, many of them began sifting through the debris, to salvage what they could.
Scores of children had not been sent to school and played together, digging in the ash.
Some people, balancing their weight on the metal frames that were all that remained of their chairs, simply stared at where their homes had stood. They appeared to be in shock.
Nopinki Sonkgayi sat beside a mound of blackened debris.
"That's all I have left," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"I was fast asleep when I heard screams. I ran out of my house and saw the flames coming. I ran to get away and watched my house... disappear. I lived here for 15 years, and now everything is gone."
Emily Zolwana, sifting through the ashes of her home, picked up a blackened fork. She was in her pyjamas as she had been unable to save her clothes.
- Cape Times
This is virtually all that remains of at least 400 homes razed by a fire in the Joe Slovo informal settlement.
The fire broke out early on Monday and spread rapidly in the strong southeaster.
| 'I was fast asleep when I heard screams' |
About six hours after the blaze was put out, many of them began sifting through the debris, to salvage what they could.
Scores of children had not been sent to school and played together, digging in the ash.
Some people, balancing their weight on the metal frames that were all that remained of their chairs, simply stared at where their homes had stood. They appeared to be in shock.
Nopinki Sonkgayi sat beside a mound of blackened debris.
"That's all I have left," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"I was fast asleep when I heard screams. I ran out of my house and saw the flames coming. I ran to get away and watched my house... disappear. I lived here for 15 years, and now everything is gone."
Emily Zolwana, sifting through the ashes of her home, picked up a blackened fork. She was in her pyjamas as she had been unable to save her clothes.
- Cape Times
No comments:
Post a Comment