All students from the University of Cape Town (UCT) have been evacuated from the campus as an out-of-control fire is reportedly threatening the university buildings.
UCT spokesperson, Elijah Moholola says the students have been moved to pre-determined locations.
Parts of the Rhodes Memorial and a restaurant on the slopes of Devil’s Peak have already been destroyed. In a statement, UCT management says the fire has reached the upper campus and that it is not safe for anyone to be in buildings or surrounding areas.
Earlier SANParks Table Mountain National Park requested hikers to immediately evacuate the area.
Fire and Rescue spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse says,”A section of the tea room at Rhodes Memorial has been destroyed and people are urged not to enter the area. More resources are currently on their way to assist firefighting efforts. These include teams from Working on Fire and Table Mountain National Park. Three choppers are also water bombing the area.”
Several roads in the area have been closed and motorists have been asked to use alternative routes. Cape Town Traffic Services spokesperson Maxine Bezuidenhout says the M3 inbound between Rhodes Drive and Union Avenue is closed to traffic as well as access roads from Woolsack Drive and Princess Ann Ave onto the M3. The M3 outbound is closed at Hospital Bend. Traffic is being diverted towards the N2.
