A MASIPHUMELE man has tragically lost his life and 80 people have been left displaced after a fire ripped through the Zululand Informal Settlement during the early hours of Monday morning.
According to residents who were affected by the blaze, the fire started around 5am.Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the City’s Fire and Rescue Service received reports of informal structures alight in Masemola Street, Masiphumelele, around 6am.
Carelse reported: “Several crews were dispatched to the scene, including the IMT Type 4 team. One person is confirmed to have died, however, their age and gender is unknown at this stage.
“The South African Police Service will investigate the cause of the fire. Our initial estimate is that one formal and around 20 informal structures were destroyed, leaving approximately 80 persons displaced.“The fire was extinguished at 10.05am.”
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that Ocean View police registered an inquest for investigation following a shack fire on Monday at a premises in Masemola Road, Masiphumelele, where a 32-year-old male was found among the debris when the fire was extinguished.
Van Wyk added: “According to reports, SAPS members received a complaint of a fire at the mentioned address, and on their arrival the Fire Department assisted to extinguish the fire. Investigation continues.”
Residents have been left to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives with the assistance of Gift of the Givers who was on site helping with humanitarian relief.
Ali Sablay from Gift of the Givers said: “Gift of the Givers teams [were] on-site at the Zululand Informal Settlement in Masiphumelele, following a devastating fire that swept through the area in the early hours of this morning.
"The blaze destroyed numerous structures, including a local church.“Emergency services have cordoned off the site as forensic teams work to retrieve the body of a male victim who tragically lost his life in the fire.“
"Our teams are providing immediate humanitarian assistance to those affected and will continue to support the community with relief operations over the coming days.”
Resident Khaya Nqabeni said that he and his brother lost everything they had built over the years in the fire and could only save their important documents.
Nqabeni explained: “We don’t know what started the fire but it was around 5am. I was asleep but my brother was awake because he had to go to work. He managed to wake me up and we alerted others of the fire.
“We have been living in Masiphumele since 2014 and we could only save our ID’s and small things but the rest of our belongings were lost in the fire. We are now living with our uncle.”