By Buziwe Nocuze
More than 50 people have been left homeless after a fire broke out in the KTC informal settlement in Cape Town.
Among the victims are members of St John’s Church, who used the church as their home.
The church comprised several adjoining shacks.
Phumzile Majodina, a church member, said everyone was asleep when the fire broke out at about 4am on Tuesday.
“We heard residents screaming. At first, we thought that they were being robbed, but then we saw a cloud of smoke coming from inside the church,” said Phumzile.
“It was only then that we realised that the shacks were on fire. We woke other people who were sleeping and ran outside.”
She said they couldn’t save anything.
“We managed to assist an elderly woman using a wheelchair to get out unharmed. We went back to the burning shacks to try and salvage our belongings, but the fire was too strong,” said Phumzile.
Now they don’t have a place to stay and people receiving help at the church are also stranded.
“It isn’t only about the people living inside the church premises. We also have people who would come and get help depending on their health. We would love it if anyone could assist us with building materials so that we can continue helping them,” said Phumzile.
The spokesperson for the city’s Fire and Rescue Services, Jermaine Carelse, said they received a call about the fire at around 4.20am on Tuesday.
“By 6am, the fire was extinguished. About 20 structures were destroyed,” Carelse said.
No injuries or fatalities were reported and the cause of the blaze has not been established.
Pictured above: KTC residents left homeless after the fire destroyed their homes. Among the victims are church members who used the church as their home.
Image source: Buziwe Nocuze
