Cape Town - Hundreds of residents who were living in the Solly’s Town informal settlement in Nomzamo, Strand, have been left destitute after a disastrous blaze tore through their homes, leaving more than 200 shacks in ashes.
Forty firefighters from the City’s Fire and Rescue Services responded to the devastating incident just before 8pm on Wednesday, however despite extensive attempts to extinguish the blaze, fire crews only managed to put out the fire just before 1am on Thursday.
Fire Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said: “The City's Fire and Rescue Service received the call about the fire in Onverwach Street at about 7.40pm. Shortly after, 40 firefighters and 11 firefighting appliances were dispatched to the scene.
“After battling the blaze throughout the night, firefighters eventually extinguished it just before 1am on Thursday. No fatalities were recorded. One man sustained injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital.”
Community leader Sithembile Mfecane said: “I have been in the area since the fire was reported, and I can’t begin to tell you the devastation it has caused.
“The amount of homes now in rubble is saddening, and this morning children had to go to school, but how could they with nothing? We are grateful for Gift of the Givers (GOTG) who came through to help residents this morning.”
GOTG spokesperson Ali Sablay said: “We were contacted seconds after the fire occurred in this informal settlement between Luanda and Nomzamo. So we came into the area this morning to do the necessary assessment. We hadn't even brought anything yet, but people were coming to thank us.
“We were told by community leaders that more than 200 structures were destroyed, leaving more than 600 people homeless. We delivered emergency humanitarian assistance in terms of hot meals, and blankets, mattresses and baby packs.
"We will be here for the next five days assisting the community. Many mothers were concerned about the schoolchildren who lost all their clothing and the relevant notebooks and textbooks,” Sablay said.
While there have been no confirmed reports on how the fire started, residents believe one of their neighbours was cooking when he fell asleep.
