Cape Town - Residents from Capricorn Heights in Vrygrond are picking-up the pieces of what’s left after a fire gutted at least 100 shacks, leaving around 300 people destitute and two minors injured.
Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said an emergency call was received at 10.10am of informal structures alight on Wednesday.
Crews from several fire stations arrived on scene.
Carelse said a firefighter was also injured and transported to a medical facility for treatment.
Sonica Lategan from the Disaster Risk Management Centre, said assessments are ongoing.
“Indications are that approximately 100 structures were destroyed, and some 300 persons affected.
“An official count will be given once the registration process is completed,” Lategan said.
“Two minors sustained burn wounds and were taken to hospital.
“City services have been activated to attend to infrastructural damages, including replacing toilets on site.
“The City’s Electricity Services was on site to fix overhead electrical lines.
“Solid Waste will start clearing the site as soon as possible.”
Gift of the Givers teams were on site yesterday, setting up a humanitarian base and distributed hot meals to assist the fire victims.
One of the victims, Amanda Zotho, 30, expressed her devastation, stating, “I was at work at the time of the fire and my two children were at school. We lost everything and now we are trying to rebuild our structures with burned materials.”
Cape Argus