Call to help victims of Europe shack fire

An electrical overload is suspected to have caused the blaze that destroyed seven shacks in Gugulethu's Europe shanty town last Tuesday morning, says City Fire and Rescue Service spokesman, Jermaine Carelse.

One of the victims, Busiswe Thungatha, said the fire had started in an unoccupied shack in the early hours of Tuesday September 24 and spread quickly.

"When we heard people calling 'fire' we had to get up without salvaging anything. We all desperately tried to salvage some of our furniture but were unable to do so. We are left homeless, without food or blankets."

People had watched helplessly as their homes had been consumed by flames, leaving them with little more than the clothes they had had on at the time, she said.

Councillor Bongani Ngcombolo said he had approached the City's human settlements department for help.

"I also call on any good Samaritan to come help these people with whatever they have. I also live here, but this side has never experienced such trauma. This is worrying because people are unemployed and some might have been thinking about December already.“