Tshwane's emergency services, working with other city departments and non-governmental organisations, are providing relief services for victims of fires in two informal settlements at the weekend.
Three people died and thousands of dwellers were left destitute in fires in an informal settlement in Woodlands in Pretoria East and another in Sportspark in Lyttleton on Saturday and Sunday.
Tshwane EMS spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the department was informed about a grass fire at Cemetery View informal settlement in Woodlands at about 8pm on Saturday.
“The firefighting resource that was displaced to the incident was met by huge flames raging through the informal settlement and immediately called for backup. Additional resources were activated and the blaze was fought until the early hours of Sunday when the blaze was extinguished,” he said.
He said firefighters discovered the charred bodies of a man and woman aged 38 and 35 and an eight-year-old girl during mop-up and cooling operations.
“It was determined that about 300 shacks were destroyed by the fire and more than 2,000 shack dwellers displaced,” said Mabaso.
He said the fire at an informal settlement in Sportspark, Lyttleton, was reported to the Tshwane EMS at about 12am on Sunday.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find multiple shacks on fire and immediately started firefighting operations.
“It was determined after the blaze was extinguished that about 50 shacks burnt down and about 150 dwellers were displaced. Disaster risk management official issued blankets to the affected and continue to co-ordinate social relief measures in conjunction with relevant government departments.”
He said the cause of the fires is still under investigation.
TimesLIVE
Tshwane provides relief services after shack fires claim three lives and leave thousands displaced
Image: anyvidstudio/123RF
Tshwane's emergency services, working with other city departments and non-governmental organisations, are providing relief services for victims of fires in two informal settlements at the weekend.
Three people died and thousands of dwellers were left destitute in fires in an informal settlement in Woodlands in Pretoria East and another in Sportspark in Lyttleton on Saturday and Sunday.
Tshwane EMS spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the department was informed about a grass fire at Cemetery View informal settlement in Woodlands at about 8pm on Saturday.
“The firefighting resource that was displaced to the incident was met by huge flames raging through the informal settlement and immediately called for backup. Additional resources were activated and the blaze was fought until the early hours of Sunday when the blaze was extinguished,” he said.
He said firefighters discovered the charred bodies of a man and woman aged 38 and 35 and an eight-year-old girl during mop-up and cooling operations.
“It was determined that about 300 shacks were destroyed by the fire and more than 2,000 shack dwellers displaced,” said Mabaso.
He said the fire at an informal settlement in Sportspark, Lyttleton, was reported to the Tshwane EMS at about 12am on Sunday.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find multiple shacks on fire and immediately started firefighting operations.
“It was determined after the blaze was extinguished that about 50 shacks burnt down and about 150 dwellers were displaced. Disaster risk management official issued blankets to the affected and continue to co-ordinate social relief measures in conjunction with relevant government departments.”
He said the cause of the fires is still under investigation.
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