A bleak start to 2023 for parts of Cape Town as a third fire hits within 48 hours. First DuNoon, then Masiphumelele, and now Polar Park in Philippi.
1000 residents have been left homeless, 300 informal homes were destroyed, and the death of a woman after a fire ripped through the informal settlement in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said several fire crews were alerted to the fire at 2.40am.
The fire was brought under control at approximately 6am. Emergency crews have been dispatched to conduct mop-up operations.
According to News24, while Carelse said the cause of the fire remains unknown at this stage, Teenage Mtiyane, Chairperson of the Polar Park committee says the fire started at the deceased woman’s house where a gas stove was left on.
The woman sustained fatal burn wounds.
Mtiyane believes the wind also played a part in the spreading of the fire.
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers’ Ali Sablay told News24 that they had received calls from the community requesting urgent assistance. Upon arrival at the scene, they discovered it was “worse than what we thought”.
“People lost everything. The situation is dire. When people saw the team arriving, they hurried to the vehicles to request help. Many of the mothers got emotional when they started telling us that all their children’s new school clothes and stationery were burnt,” said Sablay.
The Gift of the Givers said they would remain on the scene alongside disaster management and SASSA until the full extent of the damage has been assessed, as reported by News24.
To contribute towards Gift of the Givers interventions, click HERE or contact them on 0800 786 911.
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City announces the partial closure of two coastal areas until further notice
Picture: Gift of the Givers / Facebook