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Ten shacks destroyed in fire

Tragedy struck a squatter community when ten shacks caught fire in a blaze which quickly spread among the dingy structures.

July 23, 2018

Gerhard Rheeder 1 minute read

All the residents could do was stand and watch how their livelihoods went up in flames.

Ten families have lost everything and were left with only the clothes on their backs.
The fire was started by a hotplate left burning by two women from Thembisa who were visiting friends in the squatter camp.

According to Mr Thabo Brendie, all that the affected parties could do was stand and watch how their livelihoods went up in flames.
He grabbed his cellphone to take pictures of the devastation while local firefighters battled the blaze.

Residents tried to salvage what they could from the wreckage.

The municipality visited the squatter camp on Tuesday where two tents were erected for the displaced.
They also received blankets but some of the squatters have gone hungry since the fire with no money to buy food.

The fire started at around 14:54 with most of the inhabitants of the shacks at work.
Mr Brendie says the two women turned on the hotplate to cook some food but later left the shack without turning the hotplate off.
The shack was completely destroyed while the intense fire spread to nearby shacks engulfing them in flames.