Cape Flats fire leaves over 600 people homeless

A Cape Town city councillor says the number of people displaced by a fire in the 7de Laan informal settlement in Valhalla Park early Tuesday morning, has doubled.

The City’s Fire and rescue services initially estimated that about 300 people were left destitute after about a 100 shacks were destroyed, but ward councillor, Jonathan Cupido, says it’s much more than that.

Cupido says about 600 people have lost everything. He says they’ve been overwhelmed with support.

“Some of the community members hve taken some of the stuff that the people could stil rescue and stored it at their houses. Others also gave some of the people a place to rest and refresh themselves. We’ve also made the community hall available for the people so that they can come there and also overnight at the community hall.”

Earlier City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue spokesperson, Theo Layne, says no injuries or fatalities were reported. He says the cause of the fire has not yet been established.

“The City’s Fire and Rescue Service responded to an informal settlement fire, that is 7de Laan informal settlement, Valhalla Park this morning. Eight fire engines, five water tankers and one rescue vehicle with approximately 53 fire fighters were on the scene and the fire was extinguished,” says Layne.