/ 17 August 2008

Woman dies in Johannesburg shack fire

One person was killed when 300 shacks burnt down at a squatter camp near Denver hostel in southern Johannesburg late on Saturday night, said Johannesburg emergency services.

Spokesperson Percy Morokane said about 800 people were left displaced by the fire, which started in the settlement situated on Main Reef Road and Plantasie Street just after 10pm.

”During assessment this morning we found the body of a woman burnt beyond recognition, and that about 300 shacks were burnt down,” he said.

Earlier reports said more than 1 000 shacks had burnt down, leaving 3 000 people homeless. These earlier figures had been a ”rough estimate”, said Morokane.

Turffontein, Rosebank, Fairview and Kibler Park fire stations battled the blaze until after midnight.

Some people who lived on the opposite side of the settlement from where the fire started had managed to salvage some items before their shacks burnt down, but many lost everything.

”People suffered losses, I’m telling you,” he said.

Just before 1am on Sunday, firefighters on the scene were ”damping down” to ensure there were no areas left where a fire could spark up again.

Safety officers on the scene were trying to establish the cause of the fire, but due to the magnitude of the damage this could take some time, said Morokane.

”In illegal informal settlements there are a lot of social factors that come into being. High on the list is drunkenness … where a person drinks and forgets to put out the candle … or they might leave a pot cooking on a stove and go and buy beer again.”

Morokane also said domestic violence or fighting between neighbours could start a fire if they knocked over items like candles while arguing.

Disaster management officials were on the scene to help the displaced people by organising tents and blankets and looking after children and the elderly. — Sapa