Cape Town: Shack fires leave 2 000 homeless

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2193292,00.html

Two die in shack fires
30/09/2007 16:10 – (SA)

Cape Town – Two people died and about 2 000 lost their homes on Sunday after five separate fires broke out in informal settlements around Cape Town, emergency services said.

About 400 shacks were destroyed at Nonzamo, with over 1 800 people left destitute, said Cape Town emergency services head Greg Pillay.

At Wallacedene to the north, another 60 informal homes were razed and 200 people left homeless.

The destitute have been temporarily housed at community centres, and non-governmental bodies were providing meals, blankets and clothing.

There were also three smaller fires which claimed two lives, said Pillay.

He said nearly 500 000 of Cape Town’s 3.2 million population lived in shacks – mainly constructed from corrugated iron sheets.

Their numbers were swelling due to urbanisation and a lack of formal housing.

Fires were a regular occurrence, he said,