Hundreds left homeless by Dunoon fire

Hundreds of people were left homeless after a fire ripped through Dunoon’s Doornbach shanty town last week.

While no serious injuries or deaths were recorded, more than 200 shacks were destroyed, leaving about 450 people displaced, said the City’s Disaster Risk Management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell.

Officials from the department had done a post-fire assessment at the settlement just two hours after the fire broke out just before 5pm on Monday May 6, she said.

“Infrastructural damage has been observed to 10 electrical poles, a water pipe and mobile toilet and various departments have been informed of the damages and the repairs, as well as the clearing of debris in the area,” she said.

Various non-profits and businesses, including Gift of the Givers, have since given aid to the fire victims.

Gift of the Givers spokesman Ali Sablay said they had given blankets, toiletries and hot meals during the last week.

City Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse said the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.

Dunoon community activist Viwe Joka said on Monday that he and some of his “comrades” were gathering names of fire victims who needed help, but, in the meantime, some of the victims had started rebuilding.