SST shack dwellers in Town Two are devastated after three people including a four-month-old child burned beyond recognition during a shack fire on Monday morning (8 December). At least two structures were affected which left six people homeless.
The cause of the shack fire is unclear.
Community leader Lubabalo Msutu described the incident as terrible. He said it was the fourth time the area had been gutted by fire since 2016.
“There is a man, woman and a child who died. The woman was sleeping over at her boyfriend, with a child. We don’t know what caused the fire, but it
started in their shack,” he explained. Msutu urged the City to build proper houses for them.
The deceased brother who refused to be named for fear of harassment said he suspects that the fire was started by someone. He said he heard some
commotion at his brother’s shack before the fire started.
“I heard some noise outside between my brother and the woman before the shack fire started. Then it went quite. A few hours later after the woman left we saw the shack burning,” he said, adding that the fire started on the outside in front of the shack.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse said at approximately 03:10 on Monday 8 December they received calls of structures alight at Mandela Park in Khayelitsha.
“Crews from nearby fire stations responded to the incident and by 04:50 the fire was extinguished. Two structures were destroyed, leaving six persons displaced. Three persons sustained fatal burn wounds and were declared deceased by medical personnel,” said Carelse.
