Three dead, 47 displaced in Cape fires

Cape Town - Three people were killed and 47 people were left homeless after several fires in Cape Town over the Easter weekend, the city's disaster risk management centre said on Monday.

Two adults and a two-year-old girl died when the wendy house they were living in caught fire on Sunday evening, spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. Police have opened an inquest docket and were investigating.

The fire which started in the wendy house spread to the main house on the premises and two people were left homeless.

A total of 41 people were left homeless after three separate fires in Gugulethu in the early hours of Monday morning and Sunday night.

Twelve shacks were destroyed behind Joburg Stores off Lansdowne Road in Gugulethu just after midnight on Monday.

A total of 20 adults and seven children were left homeless.

“The blaze completely gutted the informal shacks resulting in the victims losing all their personal belongings,” Solomons-Johannes said.

“The fire victims will be assisted with food parcels, clothing, blankets, building material.”

The cause of the fire had not been established.

Fourteen people were left homeless in two separate fires in Gugulethu on Sunday night.

A fire destroyed three wood and iron structures at 33 Andrew Matshikwe Street leaving three people homeless, said Solomons-Johannes.

At the Barcelona informal settlement in Gugulethu three shacks were destroyed and 11 people displaced.

It was suspected that a candle fell over and set the bedding alight.

At 1am on Sunday a fire destroyed a woman's shack at the R1

Freedom Park informal settlement in Belhar.

An eyewitness alleged that the woman's fiancé set the shack alight and fled the scene.

The police had opened an inquest docket and were looking for the man, Solomons-Johannes said.

Three people were displaced in Marcus Garvey informal settlement in Philippi when a fire destroyed two shacks.

The occupants tried to extinguish the blaze with garden hoses.

It was suspected that the fire was caused by sparks from a short circuit in the electrical wiring.

“The City's disaster response teams will assist the fire victims with the supply of food parcels, blankets, baby packs, clothing and building material during this morning (Monday),” Solomons-Johannes said. 

- Sapa