At least 2000 displaced after Mandela Park fire

At least 2000 Hout Bay residents affected by the devastating fire that swept through the Mandela Park Imizamo Yethu township have been left homeless. This as a fire engulfed at least 1000 informal structures and caused the death of two individuals.

The fire was one of four fires over the weekend, which resulted in the death of ten people.

The fire erupted late Friday evening and continued into Saturday. Photo credit: Sullivan Photography

City Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Theo Layne, says that rescue services responded to a fire in an informal structure in Wesbank at approximately 23h00, which resulted in the death of four residents; one adult male, one adult female and two minors.

In a separate incident, in Kosovo Informal settlement near Philippi, a further three victims succumbed to fatal burns.

“One structure was destroyed and one adult male, one adult female and one male sustained fatal burns,” Layne confirmed.

In a fourth incident on Sunday morning, a man was killed in a shack fire which broke out in an informal settlement in Citrusdal on the west coast. In total the fire gutted 22 shacks.

Affected residents worked to salvage as many of their belongings as possible. Photo credit: Sullivan Photography
Zainab Kader, part of the management team of the Hout Bay based registered NGO, James House says that the affected residents are in dire need of basic supplies, such as blankets, clothes and food. Photo credit: Zainab Kader

In an effort to assist the hundreds of families who have lost everything in the blaze, Hout Bay based Child and Youth Care Centre, James House, is requesting assistance in the form of water, clothing, food and blankets as numerous families have thus far lost their homes and belongings in the Hout bay fire.

Anyone who wishes to assist the affected families may deliver donations to Gatesville Masjid, it will subsequently be transferred to James House.

Families are now left with the difficult task of rebuilding their lives. Photo credit: Zainab Kader
“Disaster Risk Management is carrying out an assessment and will determine how best to help all those that were left homeless,” Layne Stated.
At least 1000 homes have been destroyed in the devastating fire. Photo credit: Sullivan Photography

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