An unidentified person burned to death and 1Â 500 shacks were destroyed in a fire in the Was-‘n-bietjie and New Town informal settlements in Lwandle near the Strand, Western Cape police said on Sunday morning.
Captain Eugene Sitzer said the fire broke out at about 3.40am on Sunday morning. It was not clear what had caused the blaze.
He said 8Â 000 people have been left homeless.
After the fire was put out, the charred remains of a person was found. It was not yet known whether it was a man or a woman.
Western Cape disaster management spokesperson Johan van der Westhuizen said personnel were still on the scene assessing the damage and establishing the exact amount of people left homeless.
He said his team had already contacted NGOs to help supply food and blankets.
The biggest challenge would be finding housing for all the people, said Van der Westhuizen. — Sapa