5 die in early morning blaze in Cape Town informal structure

Five people died in a fire in Khayelitsha, Cape Town in the early hours of Friday morning.

The fire broke out in Nonqubela, Site B in Khayelitsha, according to City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse.

He said:

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and found five bodies.

“The scene was handed over to the South African Police Service at 03:15,” he said.

The gender and ages of the victims are still unknown.

Ward councillor Thando Pimpi said it didn’t appear as if the five people were from the same family, although they were all sleeping in the shack at the time of the fire.

He said:

He added that a process was under way to find the families of the victims and identify the bodies.

Pimpi said the cause of the fire was unclear.

“Everyone is so shocked. No one has a clear idea of what happened,” he added.

NEWS24.COM