WATCH: Runaway veld fires destroyed homes in KwaZulu-Natal

Some residents in rural parts of KwaZulu-Natal have been left devastated after numerous houses were destroyed by runaway veld fires on Sunday night.

KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, issued a statement on Monday evening saying he had intervened quickly in the tragic situation.

The MEC said a travelling team, led by the Human Settlements head of department, Mdu Zungu, has been assigned to find out the number of houses that have been destroyed by the fires.

Houses destroyed

“We have received sketchy information about houses that have been destroyed in eShowe, Nkandla, UMtshezi, Utretch, and Umtubatuba,” Duma said.

Watch a video of houses burning here:

Raging Runaway Veld Fires Have Destroyed Homes in Rural Parts of KZN

Statement on the quick intervention by the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma.

Full Statement Link: https://t.co/tJdzrv4nVT pic.twitter.com/nSttbwjGMs

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Dockets destroyed in fire at Barberton Police Station [VIDEO]

— KZN Transport (@KZNTransport) July 8, 2024

This comes after strong winds swept through the area. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZNCogta) placed disaster management teams on high alert on Monday due to severe wind warnings from the South African Weather Service.

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“The roving team in various districts is on the ground and doing assessments.”

Request for affected family’s information

The MEC has requested that anyone with the details of the family in the video above forward their information to the WhatsApp number 082 375 4742.

He added that during this time of need, the department will work with the national Department of Human Settlements and other relevant departments to speed up interventions for the affected families in distress and restore their dignity.

PICS: Aftermath of the wildfires that ravaged the area of Eshowe in northern KwaZulu-Natal from last night. The wildfires were started by the strong winds around 10pm yesterday. @ScrollaAfrica pic.twitter.com/jATQxR2IH1

— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 8, 2024

“We take comfort in the fact that both the national government of unity and the provincial government of unity have adopted an integrated approach to strengthen service delivery,” Duma said.

“We have now entered an era of efficiency and a quick turnaround time to bring much-needed assistance to rural communities who are living under the yoke of poverty and underdevelopment.”

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The department vowed to continue reporting on the progress made in relation to the interventions by the national department.