When TimesLIVE arrived on the scene the settlement was still engulfed in flames.
Nonsindiso Msizeni,42, was looking for any possessions she could salvage among the ashes where her three-room shack once stood. “I am looking for anything I can find because I ran for my life leaving everything in the house,” said Msizeni carrying a stainless steel pot on her head.
She said she lives with her four children and nine grandchildren and no one in the household is employed. “We depend on government social grants for nine grandchildren and the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD).
Hundreds left homeless after fire at informal settlement in KZN
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Hundreds of people were left destitute after their homes were burnt to ashes at Dakota informal settlement in Isipingo, south of Durban, on Saturday night.
The fire started in one of the shacks about 7pm and it is not clear what sparked it. No fatalities were reported.
“We were watching soccer when a flame shot out from this shack. We could not extinguish the fire because the shack was closed as the owner was still at work. Before we could do anything the fire spread all over the area”, said Khayalethu Dlamini.
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
When TimesLIVE arrived on the scene the settlement was still engulfed in flames.
Nonsindiso Msizeni,42, was looking for any possessions she could salvage among the ashes where her three-room shack once stood. “I am looking for anything I can find because I ran for my life leaving everything in the house,” said Msizeni carrying a stainless steel pot on her head.
She said she lives with her four children and nine grandchildren and no one in the household is employed. “We depend on government social grants for nine grandchildren and the R350 Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD).
“We are pleading with the government to assist us with identity documents because we don't know how we are going to collect our next grants”, Msizeni added.
In the early hours of Sunday residents were milling around the scene, not knowing where they would be sleeping on Sunday night.
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Makhauta Khole,34, who has lived in the area for nine years said they don't know how they are going to survive. “We have nothing left and we have no place to sleep.” No fatalities we reported.
TimesLIVE
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Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
Image: SANDILE NDLOVU
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