Fire leaves 200 homeless
2009-12-03
Lise Beyers
ILLEGAL electricity wiring most probably led to a fire which left at least 200 people homeless this week. Chaos erupted when the fire broke out in an informal settlement in Drommedaris Street, Mbekweni, at 13:30 on Monday afternoon. More than a hundred people fled their homes trying to take with them the little belongings which they could manage to salvage. Due to the dry, windy conditions the flames swept rapidly to adjacent homes, leaving a wasteland in its wake. Various members of the community assisted the fire department in combating the flames. At least two people sustained burn wounds while escaping the flames. But by the time the heat had subsided, many people had started rebuilding their homes on the very same spot, in fear that their tiny piece of earth would be taken away from them. Food parcels from the Red Cross were handed out to assist the victims. The community who wishes to donate food, clothes and furniture to the affected families can do so at the Paarl Fire Department. A spokesperson for the fire department warned the public to be extremely cautious when using any forms of fire during this time of the year. “This latest incident is just proof that one spark can devastate many people’s lives.” In this area, illegal electrical connections, better known as spaghetti wiring, is common. Residents of informal areas help themselves to free electricity by connecting wires from main lines to their shacks.
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