3 Minors Among 6 Killed in Fire That Ripped Through Khayelitsha Informal Settlement in Cape Town

• Several people were killed in a blaze that ripped through the Town Two informal settlement in Khayelitsha
• The City of Cape Town revealed that the fire claimed the lives of three children and six adults
• The City's Fire and Rescue Service are searching for one person who is missing while a lone survivor was rushed to hospital

CAPE TOWN - A devasting fire has tragically claimed the lives of six people at the Town Two informal settlement in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.

The blaze was ignited on Saturday, 29 July and claimed the lives of three minors and three adults.

1 missing and another severely injured in Khayelitsha informal settlement fire

According to the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, an adult survivor sustained severe burn wounds to their body and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, EWN reported.

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Additionally, one person was reported missing. The fire called untold destruction, razing five shacks to the ground.

The city isn't clear on how the fire was started, and the cause is still under investigation.

How are informal settlement fires caused?

According to the Fire Safety Engineering Guidelines for Informal Settlements, the risk of fire in informal settlements is influenced by various things, which can be both structural and behavioural.

In areas where there is a lack of access to electricity, there are numerous sources that can cause a fire, as residents depend on risky energy sources like paraffin, open fires, or gas for cooking and heating. Candles are also often used as a source of lighting. When left unattended, all these hazards cause a fire risk.

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Durban residents left homeless by informal settlement fire plead for shelter after homes burned down

Briefly News reported that scores of people were left homeless after what the Kennedy Road informal settlement residents have described as the worst fire to date.

An uncontrollable blaze tore through the settlement on Sunday, 16 July burning down an estimated 1 000 homes.

Devastated by the destruction left in the fire's wake, residents with nowhere to stay are pleading for shelter from anyone willing to help.

Source: Briefly News