20 dwellings destroyed in blaze

ABOUT 20 dwellings have been destroyed in a fire in the informal settlement of Belgravia Estate, Athlone.

Aziza Kannemeyer, chairperson of the Athlone Community Policing Forum (CPF), said the fire started around 5.30pm. “It was alleged that the fire was started by children who were playing with matchsticks in one of the dwellings,” she said.

The City’s fire chief, Theo Layne, said the blaze had since been extinguished and no injuries or deaths had been reported.

“The City’s Fire and Rescue Services responded to Veld Road in Belgravia, where we had a total of 20 informal structures that were destroyed and left approximately 60 people displaced,” he said.

Head of Public Awareness and Preparedness for the City of Cape Town Charlotte Powell said they would activate assistance after assessing the disaster. “The residents are with their friends and families until activated NGO partner scan assist them.”

Kannemeyer said the community of Belgravia was concerned about their safety and the effect of parents’ negligence on their children.

“Children are inquisitive, parents should be vigilant and ensure safety measure are taken when it comes to fire. The other concern is around safety: shacks are very close to one another and there has been a growth of dwellers in the area,” she said.