A massive fire tore through Khayelitsha’s Phakamani Road settlement, destroying nearly 200 shacks Hundreds of people were left homeless when a fire swept through theKhayelitsha’s Phakamani Road settlement on Sunday. So far, no one has been injured or killed, but according to Gift of the Givers, nearly 200 shacks were completely destroyed inTsepe Tsepe. The organisation said the fire, which started at about 12.30pm, was by far the largest incident recorded over the festive period.
Heartbreaking pictures shared by the organisation show residents, including young children, surveying the damage as shacks lie razed all around them. “Gift of the Givers teams were called in by the local council and community leaders to provide humanitarian assistance,” it said on Sunday. “[At the] Phakamani Road informal settlement in Khayelitsha, a fire swept through the area, leaving widespread destruction and hundreds of people homeless.
Our teams are currently on the ground as firefighters extinguish the last remaining flare-ups.” Gift of the Givers said it has put together an immediate response team and will distribute relief items over the next few days. “The exact number of people affected is still being assessed at this early stage, disaster management teams and community are in the process of registering those affected,” he said. Community leader Xoliswa Peters toldIOLthey were trying to get access to city facilities to house those affected.
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“We are trying to facilitate at the Eyethu Multi‑Purpose Centre and Khayelitsha Resource Centre,” Peters said. “The scene is very bad and the situation extremely painful.”
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