Cape Town Easter blaze kills one, displaces 1,200

A series of fires in Langa, Cape Town, have left one person dead and scores displaced, Cape Town disaster management reported on Sunday.

At one stage police had to intervene to disperse unruly crowds and protect firefighting staff, the city said.

The first fire was reported at around 6pm on Saturday, while a further two flared up early Sunday morning. “During the first of these (early morning fires) one adult male sustained fatal burns,” the city said.

The fires were fanned by gale-force winds. 

An estimated 1,200 people had been displaced or remained unaccounted for, with about 300 wood or iron structures destroyed or damaged, according to the city’s preliminary assessment.

A more comprehensive assessment will be concluded during the course of Sunday morning. Authorities say the cause of the fires is still unknown. 

Councillor JP Smith said the city’s disaster risk management division is co-ordinating relief and recovery efforts, assisted by various other city departments. These include informal settlements management, water and sanitation, solid waste, electricity and law enforcement agencies. Efforts are also under way to make available emergency shelter, activating the SA Social Security Agency, Gift of the Givers and Islamic Relief to provide humanitarian assistance and clearing the fire site once it is safe to do so, in order for rebuilding to begin.

TimesLIVE

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.