Scores of ERhawutini informal settlement residents are currently stranded on the side of Pelem Road not knowing what to do next after a blaze fanned by strong winds destroyed their shacks, injuring one woman just over two hours ago.
Firefighters are still at the scene battling the fire while shocked residents sit on the side of the road with only the belongings they were able to rescue, including bedding, chairs, clothes and other valuable appliances.
One woman cried uncontrollably, lamenting her losses including her daughter’s ID and other valuable documents. Disaster management officials have not confirmed the cause of the fire but according to residents, it started in one shack and spread to more than 10 others.
A woman in whose house the blaze apparently started escaped with minor burn injuries and sat in a neighbour’s shack waiting for an ambulance.
Read full story in Friday’s The Rep.