1 dead, thousands homeless as fire tears through informal settlement

One person died and a child has been reported missing after Kennedy Road informal settlement was ravaged by a fire which left thousands of people homeless.

While details of how the fire started on Sunday morning are not clear as yet, it is alleged that the fire broke out during an argument between two friends at the settlement.

The homeless have been accommodated in nearby halls by the Gift of the Givers who have also provided mattresses and blankets for the families to use.

Gift of the Givers’ community liaison officer Bilall Jeewa said there is still much to do and welcomed any assistance.

The organisation has been on the ground since they were alerted to the fire. They also provided aid to the firefighters who were fighting the fire from the early hours of Sunday morning.

“We have counted 1 100 homes that were burnt to the ground. There are 1 710 men and women and 647 children without homes now,” said Mr Jeewa.

“We arrived there on Sunday morning to the sight of exhausted firefighters, who were provided with juice and biscuits just to get them going again. We are working with the eThekwini disaster management team, the Department of Human Settlements and the community leaders of the informal settlement to provide relief to all affected.”