Primary school goes up in smoke
PUPILS and teachers were safely evacuated before a fire gutted Holy Cross Primary School in Walmer Estate yesterday.
Provincial education department spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the school would be closed today and arrangements had been made for alternative accommodation for next week.
She said security was being arranged for the premises. The damage was extensive, Hammond said. “Three classrooms, the library and the computer laboratory were destroyed.”
The cause is still being investigated. Hammond said the school had been evacuated immediately. However, given the haste, “many learners and educators left personal belongings within the school”.
No injuries have been reported. ER24 paramedics and the City’s fire and rescue services arrived on the scene while the building was alight.
ER24 spokesperson Russel Meiring said paramedics, as well as a City of Cape Town metro officer, had begun to evacuate the children while firefighters began to battle the raging blaze.
“While evacuating the children, the metro officer suffered mild smoke inhalation. The officer was treated and thereafter transported to a nearby private hospital for further treatment.”
Fire and rescue service spokesperson Tho Layne said: “There were eight firefighting vehicles and 27 firefighters on scene.”
Meanwhile, fire and rescue services had to rush to fight a fire once again in the afternoon, after a large veld fire broke out just above Kloof Nek Road, close to the Glen, near the CBD.
There was a vast area of vegetation and mountain slopes on fire. Three helicopters were dropping water over the fire and 14 fire engines were at the scene. Table Mountain National Park offiicals were also there to provide assistance.
Layne said the fire had been burning close to houses in the area but no evacuations had been ordered at the time.