Fire displaces 300 residents at Dakota informal settlement in Isipingo
eThekwini Municipality Fire and Emergency teams work tirelessly to douse the blaze that destroyed around 200 informal structures at Dakota in Isipingo.
Image: Supplied
About 300 people have been displaced after a fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the Dakota informal settlement in Isipingo.
eThekwini Municipality’s Fire and Emergency Services, together with Disaster Management teams worked hard to extinguish the blaze.The blaze ravaged the settlement, leaving a trail of destruction.
According to the municipality about 200 informal structures were destroyed resulting in 300 people, including children, being displaced.
"The fire is believed to have been caused by a burning brazier, often referred to as an imbawula. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.
"On-site humanitarian assistance is being provided by the Municipality’s Disaster Management Directorate, in partnership with the non-profit organisation The Gift of the Givers. They are working together to provide support to affected residents with emergency relief, including food, blankets, and other essential items," said the city in a statement.
Displaced families found temporary refuge with neighbours, friends and relatives.
The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, deployed disaster response teams to address informal settlement fires in the eThekwini metro.