2 People Die As Fire Tears Through Western Cape Informal Settlement, 7 Displaced
- A fire tore through five shacks at the Nomzamo informal settlement in Strand in the early hours of Saturday, 29 June
- The City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service responded to the scene, with firefighters controlling the raging fire
- Two people were killed, while seven others were displaced, with authorities yet to confirm the cause of the blaze
Source: Getty Images
STRAND — Two people died and seven others were displaced in a fire that tore through several shacks at the Nomzamo informal settlement in Strand, Western Cape.
Blaze tears through informal settlement
The incident happened on Saturday, 29 June, after reports that a fire had engulfed a shack in Benox Street, 48km outside Cape Town.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service responded to information that a structure had caught alight at about 01:40, according to a SABC News report.
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However, the cause of the fire remains unknown at this stage.
Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said firefighters controlled the fire and extinguished it by 03:00.
Five structures had been grazed to the ground in the blaze's aftermath.
"The fire destroyed five informal structures and left seven people displaced," Carelse said.
"The bodies of the two men were found in the debris, whom medical personnel certified deceased [at the scene].”
3 die in Cape Town shack fire
In another deadly incident, three people died when a fire ravaged an informal settlement in Cape Town in February, leaving others severely injured and homeless.
The fire reportedly broke out after a candle was left to burn amid a planned power outage in the area.
According to Daily Voice, the victims included an eight-month-old baby and her parents, who perished after struggling to escape the blaze.
Inferno ravages Johannesburg M1 Bridge
In related news, Briefly News previously reported that an 18-hour blaze on Johannesburg’s M1 highway double-decker bridge in Braamfontein threatened to collapse the roadway.
Authorities believed the fire was sparked by thieves who had reportedly burnt the 88-volt cable running on the sides of the bridge on 30 April.
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Source: Briefly News
