- Appeals for clothes, warm meals and building materials have gone out after a fire destroyed over 185 structures at the Ethembeni informal settlement in Dunoon over the weekend.
- At least one person has been injured in the fire that tore through shacks in Ngena Street.
- The fire broke out around at 05:30 on Sunday and took more than three hours to contain.
Appeals for clothes, warm meals and building materials have gone out after a fire destroyed over 185 structures at the Ethembeni informal settlement in Dunoon over the weekend.
“All I saw was fire and smoke,” resident Aikhona Lunga told TygerBurger on Monday.
As emergency responders worked tirelessly to contain the flames and rescue residents, the charred remains of homes now stand as a stark testament to the resilience of a community facing its darkest hour.
At least one person has been injured in the fire that tore through shacks in Ngena Street.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The City of Cape Town said it was conducting assessments after 570 residents were left homeless due to a massive fire at the informal settlement.
“One of the children came running to the house screaming and shouting about a massive fire,” Lunga said. “At first I thought our shack was on fire, but when I came out I saw that was not the case. I could feel that warmth of the fire from where I was standing. The fire could have started at one shack and then torched the other, but no one knows what happened yet.”
She said she knows many of the people who are now left with nothing but ashes.
“It is really heartbreaking and especially at this time of the year. All one’s belongings, the new things one bought for the holidays, are all gone. It can happen to anyone! Now many have to start from scratch.”
Lunga appeals to the public to lend a helping hand.
“Even just old pants or a warm meal . . . it will be really appreciated,” she said.
The fire broke out around at 05:30 on Sunday and took more than three hours to contain, the City said.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said due to the extent of the fire ore than 50 staff battled the blaze. He said crews also had to contend with some members of the community who interfered with the firefighters carrying out their duties. The cause of the fire is still unclear at this stage.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers has committed itself to feeding affected families for the next five days. Spokesperson Ali Sablay said mopping-up operations were still ongoing while fire victims rebuild their structures.
“In the coming days, we’ll be assisting the community members further once the registration is done with blankets, toiletries, baby care packs, and new clothing.”
