BREAKING NEWS: Shacks go up in flames in Pipeline Informal Settlement
KYA SAND – Pipeline informal settlement has been engulfed in flames.
Pipeline Informal Settlement in Kya Sand is currently on fire.
Ward 96 councillor Matume Mafukwane cannot confirm the extent of the damage, nor can he confirm if there are any injuries.
It is alleged that the cause of the fire was a stove that was left on. Fire marshals were unable to confirm this.
Fire marshals from Roosevelt Park and Randburg fire stations where on scene, working with the community to put out the fires.
Firefighters rushed to extinguish numerous fires simultaneously , as one fire was under control, others ignited due to exploding gas bottles. Loud popping sounds radiated from inside the settlement. Nearby taps were used to fill up drums, buckets, crates and even ice-cream containers by the residents to help put out the flames. Fights broke out near the water pumps as people were blocking the area and not helping each other. Goats and chickens were seen roaming the area to avoid the heat and fire. Residents were still desperately attempting to evacuate while watching in awe as their whole livelihoods were going up in flames.
Mafukwane said that this is not the first time Pipeline Informal Settlement has caught fire, and has expressed his concern.
A journalist on the scene explains that shack dwellers are frantically breaking down their shacks to get to their personal belongings.
No injuries have been reported thus far.
