Cape Town — Over 400 people were displaced from their homes after a fire blazed through the Mangaung Informal Settlement in Philippi, Cape Town on Sunday.
The fire destroyed at least 200 homes as Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue teams responded quickly to calls as the fire blazed through the area. Fire and Rescue Spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, said over 40 firefighters were deployed to the scene to battle against the flames, EWN reported.
He said emergency response was initiated around 02:45am when reports of informal structures ablaze in Mvubu Road, Philippi, flooded in
“The blaze that was fanned by a very strong wind. By 08:40, firefighters managed to contain and extinguish the fire, leaving more than 400 persons displaced,” he said.
Via MMC JP Smith @CityofCT
A fire which swept through an area in Philippi earlier this morning left hundreds of residents displaced, however there were no injuries or fatalities reported.
The City’s Fire & Rescue Service was alerted at approximately 02:45 of informal… pic.twitter.com/2xu3oXdYBI
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) March 17, 2024
Gift of the Givers (GOTG), an NGO renowned for their disaster relief efforts, is currently on-site at the Mangaung informal settlement in Philippi East, where a significant number of structures were destroyed by the fire, according to IOL.
“Our teams, in collaboration with the City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Teams, are actively engaged in conducting further assessments and providing immediate assistance to those affected.” GOTG said.
No one was injured or harmed in the fire and the cause is yet to be determined.
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Picture: X/@Abramjee
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
