Three people burned beyond recognition in a shack fire at Kosovo informal settlement in Samora Machel on Monday 6 October. A total of six shacks were destroyed and 14 persons displaced during the incident. The cause of the incident is unknown.
Nombulelo Thangana, a fire victim, said the fire broke out after 03:00.
“I can’t lie. I don’t know what caused the fire. I was sleeping. I heard people shouting ‘fire, fire’, and when I went out to check my neighbour’s shack was already overwhelmed by the flames,” she said, adding that she lost everything in the fire.
Community leader Lonwabo Jako said all the deceased are related.
“One guy stayed here (where the shack fire started). According to the information we received, they were socialising together (on Sunday 5 October) as homeboys somewhere within the area. The other two decided they would sleep over at his place. But we don’t know what caused the fire,” said Jako.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said they were alerted at 03:05 of informal structures alight at Kosovo informal settlement in Philippi.
“Several crews were on scene and firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze by 04:30.
“Our initial estimate is that six structures were destroyed, leaving 14 people displaced. The bodies of three people, gender and ages unknown, were discovered at around 04:20 with fatal burn wounds,” said Carelse.
