By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
File Photo.
Two people have died and many more displaced following a shack fire at Eloff Extension in Selby, Johannesburg early this morning.
Spokesperson for the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services, Nana Radeba-Kgiba says the cause of the fire is unclear.
“On arrival, we found multiple shacks well alight, and it took plus two hours to fully extinguish the 30-plus shacks involved,” she says.
Radebe-Kgiba added that emergency services were on the scene registering the displaced families.
South Africa has seen other devastating fires in informal settlements across the country in recent months.
Johannesburg remains one of the world’s most unequal cities with widespread poverty, joblessness and a housing crisis. It has about 15 000 homeless people, according to the Gauteng government.
Household fires are common in Johannesburg, especially in poor areas. One of the poorest townships, Alexandra, has seen hundreds of homes razed in several fires over the past five years.
The city suffers from chronic power shortages during which many resort to candles for light and wood fires for heat. Authorities said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.