Fires kill 2, leave 600 homeless
FIRES killed two men, left over 600 people homeless and gutted a Stellenbosch University academic building over the weekend.
The roof and third floor of the Van der Sterr building at the university was engulfed in flames yesterday morning, but nobody was injured. The first and second floors sustained debris and water damage.
The cause of the fire is still a mystery, the university said last night. “The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are still unknown. Fire walls probably prevented the further spreading of the fire to the rest of the building. The university’s insurers will initiate a forensic investigation.”
The fire alarm went off just before 9am, and it took two hours to get the blaze under control.
“It is with shock and regret that we have learned about the fire, but we are relieved that there were no injuries or lives lost,” said Professor Leopoldt van Huyssteen, chief operating officer, acting rector and vice-chancellor.
The Van der Sterr building is home to the faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS), including the School of Accounting. Around 75 staff members work there, and up to 2 500 students attend class in the building every period.
“Alternative arrangements are being made to reschedule tests and classes, and to accommodate staff elsewhere. Announcements regarding this will follow as soon as possible,” said Professor Stan du Plessis, dean of the faculty of EMS.
Meanwhile, two men have been killed, another is in critical condition and over 600 residents were left displaced when a series of fires engulfed the city’s informal settlements, over the weekend.
Bunga, Sweet Home, Joe Slovo, Overcome Heights and Siqalo informal settlements all had fires on Saturday night.
Fire and Rescue spokesman Theo Layne said the first fire was reported at around 10.30pm and the last one at around 3.45am.
At the Joe Slovo informal settlement a man was burnt beyond
recognition and another man sustained 40 percent burn wounds.
Yesterday, the city’s Disaster Risk Management spokeswoman, Charlotte Powell, said 270 people were displaced and 85 informal dwellings were destroyed by the fire. She said the displaced residents spent the night at a nearby community hall.
“The city’s Human Settlement department has issued the people with starter kits to start rebuilding their homes.”
The second person killed was a man reportedly from Siqalo informal settlement.
Powell said three structures caught ablaze and six people were left homeless.
The Bunga informal settlement fire, in Langa, did not just affect the 20 informal dwelling damaged in the fire but also 12 houses. Powell said 130 people were displaced. Overcome Heights was one of the least affected areas with only three structures damaged.
Shacks at the Sweet Home informal settlement, in Philippi, were destroyed in a fire, with 200 people displaced and 52 structures burnt down.
Layne said the cause of the fires was undetermined. “We are still busy with the investigations.”