Site 5 residents in struggle to rebuild after fire

Residents of Site 5 in Dunoon's Doornbach shanty town have been trying to rebuild their lives after a fire there on Monday night.

The fire department was alerted just after 8pm, and 28 firefighters took until 12.50am the following morning to extinguish the blaze, said City Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse.

He added that a firefighter had to be hospitalised after being injured.

Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Charlotte Powell said the fire had destroyed 35 dwellings and 228 people had been left homeless.

She said the City was waiting to hear from the national Department of Human Settlements whether it would provide fire kits to the victims.

Community leader Zukiswa Kobe claimed an explosion in an electricity meter box had started the fire, but Mr Carelse said the cause of the fire was unknown at this stage.

Firefighters had struggled to reach the scene of the fire due to the narrow streets blocked by cars, said Ms Kobe.

Ali Sablay, from Gift of the Givers, said their staff had found the fire being fanned by strong winds when they had arrived on the scene at 9pm.

The charity was providing hot meals, blankets, toiletries and other necessities to the fire victims, he said.