Two confirmed dead in Capetown fire
CAPE TOWN – Two people have died in informal settlement fires in Cape Town and at least 600 more have been displaced.
Over 200 structures in seven areas have been gutted around the Cape Town area. The biggest fire was in the New Rest informal settlement in Gugulethu, where one of the victims died. The second person died in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay.
Emergency Services say they hav attended to several incidents this weekend.
Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Theo Layne said that in addition to the 800 informal structures being lost, the fire also burnt a field of reeds, two single storey formal houses and a double storey formal house.
Sheesh, serious blaze burning up the Weskus tonight behind Langebaan pic.twitter.com/gIeigUMs1K
— UnderTheTableCT (@underthetableCT) November 28, 2015
Sections of the community are sometimes at odds with each other over disparities between well-off Fish Hoek and underdeveloped Masiphumelele, but they set their differences aside and started rallying around the survivors, calling for blankets, food, crockery and any other items that could help.
An upset Twitter user also directed questions to the City’s mayor Patricia de Lille, demanding why nothing was being done to stop shack fires.