Disaster for thousands as Hout Bay fire roars through 650 mountainside shacks
Image: Esa Alexander
An estimated 650 shacks were razed by fire on Saturday in Imizamo Yethu‚ Hout Bay‚ leaving thousands of people homeless.
Two people who died were among nine killed in overnight fires around Cape Town.
The fire broke out in the mountainside township just after midnight‚ and at noon fire and rescue spokesman Theo Layne said the flames had been contained.
#houtbayfires #mandelapark fires people evacuating their homes. @timeslive
Posted by Anthony Molyneaux on Saturday, March 11, 2017
Twelve firefighting vehicles and more than 70 firefighters were carrying out mopping up operations‚ he said‚ adding: "Crews are expected to remain on scene for some considerable time to ensure that the fire is completely extinguished.
"No further fatalities have been reported but a proper search will be carried out before we leave the incident."
#houtbayfires #mandelaparkfires #fires craziness at Mandela Park fires! Reporting for @timeslive
Posted by Anthony Molyneaux on Saturday, March 11, 2017
A fire in Wesbank late on Friday destroyed three homes and killed a boy‚ a girl‚ a man and a woman. A man‚ a woman and a boy were killed in a fire at 4.45am on Saturday in Kosovo‚ near Philippi.