Second fire rips through settlement

ANOTHER fire, in an informal settlement in Reservoir Hills, Durban, has left families displaced, after an inferno in an informal settlement in New Germany three weeks ago claimed a resident’s life.

eThekwini municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said yesterday its disaster management team was still on site, verifying the number of affected families at the Quarry Heights Road informal settlement.

He said the team’s initial assessment was that 15 homes were destroyed with 36 people affected – 27 adults and nine children.

Mayisela said the city yesterday began the process of giving the affected people food parcels.

“We plead with residents to be very careful when making use of open flames. These must be extinguished properly. We also ask that residents contact emergency services as soon as they see a possible fire. We are unaware of the cause of the fire,” he said.

Three weeks ago, Moses Mbambo sustained third-degree burns all over his body from a fire that ravaged some homes at the New Germany informal settlement. His 10-year-old son managed to escape the fire.

Mbambo died on hospital the following day. More than 1 000 people were displaced as a result of the fire and 400 shacks were destroyed.

A week after the fire, building material was supplied by the city and the department of social development provided blankets and food parcels.

Some of the residents from the New Germany informal settlement residents who were displaced moved in with neighbours and friends while others rebuilt their homes.

Mayisela said the City had not provided a marquee for temporary shelter to displaced residents in the Quarry Heights Road informal settlement because one that was erected for displaced residents in the New Germany informal settlement had not been used.

“The councillor and disaster management officials are monitoring the situation, and if one is needed, one will be erected immediately,” Mayisela said.

The eThekwini Fire Division said the cause of the fire in the Quarry Heights Road informal settlement was unknown.