The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) is assessing damage across several areas after multiple fires were reported in the past 24 hours.
According to spokesperson Sonica Lategan, a mobile Joint Operations Centre has been activated in Nomzamo, where Macassar DRM volunteers are assisting in compiling a list of affected residents.
The City’s Informal Settlements Management branch has completed an initial assessment, confirming that an estimated 185 structures were destroyed in Freedom Park, Thembeni, Waterstone, and Happy Rest.
“The area is unsafe due to live wires — Eskom has been informed to address the matter. Once they have been in attendance, DRM will go in to complete the formal assessment. The City’s Solid Waste Department also conducted an initial assessment and will return tomorrow to clear the fire debris,” Lategan said.
“Once the assessment is completed, DRM will forward the list of affected persons to SASSA for relief and assistance going forward,” she added.
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers is currently on-site providing emergency assistance to displaced families.
DRM teams are also responding to fires in Fisantekraal, Dunoon, and the Barcelona Informal Settlement in Gugulethu, with assessments at those locations still underway.
VOC news
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