Durban - A number of Durban residents were left homeless after a group of shacks caught fire at an informal settlement in the Effingham area, north of Durban, on Thursday.
It is unclear at this stage what caused the fire, but clouds of dark smoke could be seen billowing from the distance.
Durban Metro police spokesperson Geraldine Stevens confirmed that the fire was active and that emergency teams from the region were on scene.
Durban - FIRE at Effingham pic.twitter.com/02lBpuP8g6
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She said the team managed to safely prevent the fire from spreading to other shacks nearby, as helpless residents looked on while their possessions went up in flames.
From some of the images taken at the scene, around three fire trucks from the Durban Metro fire department were deployed to douse the blaze.
Stevens said no injuries or deaths have been reported yet.
“From what we know so far, about 100 shacks have been burnt so a lot of families have been left destitute. I have to commend the fire department for doing such a wonderful job fighting the fire in the wind. They stopped it from spreading further,” Stevens told IOL.
According to reports online, the fire occurred on Ramachand Road.
Local tabloid newspaper, Northglen News, quoted the local councillor, Bobby Maharajh, saying that there was no water in the hydrant.
IOL