Nine people have been killed in three separate fires in Cape Town's shack settlements between Friday night and Saturday morning, the city's fire and rescue services said.

A fire at the Mandela Park informal settlement near Hout Bay claimed two lives and was still burning at mid-morning on Saturday, said Layne.

Residents fled with their belongings from the narrow alleys between the corrugated iron houses to the safety of nearby tar roads, but two were trapped in the flames and died.

"There are going to be hundreds of people displaced," said Layne, adding that disaster relief teams were on their way to assist.

He said that they had battled to get close to the fire because people had been dumping their belongings in the road as they evacuated.

Western Cape Traffic spokesperson Kenny Africa said that the fire brigade had encountered hostility and had to withdraw at one point.

The fire was also reportedly spreading into the mountain above Hout Bay.

The fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday.

In Witsand informal settlement near Delft, a man, a woman, a little girl and boy died when a fire swept through there overnight.

In the Kosovo informal settlement a man, a woman, and a child died when their home went up in flames.

Kosovo was in the news in 2014 during a massive protest over the supply of portaloos for the community which was fed up with living conditions there.

Hout Bay residents have issued a call for donations of toiletries, food and clothes to be taken to collection points at the Oakhurst Spar and Victoria Road Spar, while the animal welfare organisation DARG is mobilising to help the residents' pets.

Layne urged people wanting to help to stay clear of the access roads to Mandela Park so that the fire and rescue vehicles can get through quickly.

News24 </s> CAPE TOWN - Nine people have lost their lives as a result of separate fires across Cape Town.

Three people, including a young boy, died after a fire broke out in their home in Philippi.

In Wesbank, an informal settlement near Kuilsriver, a family of four died in a fire that destroyed three structures.

In Imizamo Yethu, near Hout Bay, two people lost their lives after a devastating fire destroyed hundreds of structures.

The city’s Charlotte Powell says officials are ensuring all displaced residents are safe.

“Disaster management is on scene with other city services busy with rehabilitation processes. Our NGO partner, the South African Red Cross, is providing humanitarian relief. Emergency sheltering has been activated, community halls have been made available in surrounding areas.”

While relief efforts are underway to assist residents affected by a devastating fire in Imizamo Yethu, several organisations are trying to help their pets.

The fire, which broke out last night in Mandela Park, has destroyed at least 650 shacks.

The Domestic Animal Rescue Group (DARG) along with other organisations, like the SPCA and Animal Welfare Society, has rescued 70 dogs and six cats from the fire.

DARG’s facility, which is down the road from Mandela Park, is packed to capacity with frightened animals - several of whom have burn wounds.

The facility manager Ryno Engelbrecht says they're in need of food, water and kennels to house the dogs.

“We need cages to house and transport the dogs in, blankets, food and we need sterilised water for burn victims.”

The fire has since been contained and mop up operations are underway.

Affected residents will be temporarily housed in community halls on Saturday night. </s> At least seven people have been killed in a raging fire along South Africa’s popular Garden Route in the Western Cape province, officials say.

A pregnant woman, two toddlers, and a baby are among the fatalities.

“The fire remains active on the slopes,” Lauren Howard from Working on Fire said about their operation in the mountainous suburb in George city.

The Garden Route is a 300km (185 mile) scenic stretch of road popular with tourists.

It is not clear whether any foreign nationals have been affected by the fires.

George city officials say at least 200 residents have been moved to a hall and that three suburbs, housing more than 1,500 people, have been evacuated as a precaution.

“There will be food, a place to sleep and social services… the medical services are there to look at people who may be struggling to breathe. They will be referred to hospitals in the area,” Brent-Styan from Western Cape Local Government Department said.
• Why Cape Town’s trains are on fire

More than 400 firefighters have been battling the blaze 450 km (280 miles) east of Cape Town, which has so far burned over 16,600 hectares since last week.

A fire fighter pilot died last week after his helicopter went down in the Vermaaklikhei area along the Garden Route.

Working on Fire has been tweeting about its operations:

The pregnant woman who was killed in the fire was eight months pregnant, Colin Deiner, head of Western Cape provincial disaster management services, told AFP news agency.

Students from one campus of the Nelson Mandela University, situated at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains near George were also evacuated, local media reported.

Windy conditions are however complicating efforts to put out the fire which authorities blame on a heatwave sweeping across the Western Cape.

“The strong winds are our biggest problem at the moment and lightning is also causing more problems,” Mr Deiner said. BBC </s> At least seven people have died in a raging fire in a rural community along the popular Garden Route in southern South Africa.

Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Services announced on Monday that a baby and an eight-month-old pregnant woman were among the victims. .

Member of the Western Cape Local Government and Environmental Affairs Executive Council, Anton Bredel, said their present priority is to save lives and protect property.

Yesterday we stood at roundabout 16,600 hectares that we've lost. Today we had 48,000 hectares. So currently our first priority is to protect the public and our firemen and fire women working on the lines.

“Yesterday we stood at roundabout 16,600 hectares that we’ve lost. Today we had 48,000 hectares. So currently our first priority is to protect the public and our firemen and fire women working on the lines.We’ve looked at the Eskom lines so that we can have electricity and energy in our towns of Knysna, Oudtshoorn and George. So the teams are doing quite well. We have unfortunately lost eight lives, that’s very sad, because it’s still our first priority to save lives and to protect our infrastructure.”

Firefighters continued fighting the bonfire 450 km east of Cape Town. The raging fire that began last week has burned 16,600 hectares and led to the evacuation of three suburbs, where about 1,500 people lived. </s> At least seven people have been killed in a raging fire along South Africa's popular Garden Route in the Western Cape province, officials say.A pregnant woman, two toddlers, and a baby are among the fatalities."The fire remains active on the slopes," Lauren Howard from Working on Fire said about their operation in the mountainous suburb.The Garden Route is a 300km (185 mile) scenic stretch of road popular with tourists.It is not clear whether any foreign nationals have been affected by the fires.George city officials say at least 200 residents have been moved to a hall and that three suburbs, housing"There will be food, a place to sleep and social services... the medical services are there to look at people who may be struggling to breathe. They will be referred to hospitals in the area," Brent-Styan from Western Cape Local Government Department said.A fire fighter pilot died last week after his helicopter went down in the Vermaaklikhei area along the Garden Route.The pregnant woman who was killed in the fire was eight months pregnant, Colin Deiner, head of Western Cape provincial disaster management services, told AFP news agency.Students from one campus of the Nelson Mandela University, situated at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains near George were also evacuated, local media reported.Windy conditions are however complicating efforts to put out the fire which authorities blame on a heatwave sweeping across the Western Cape."The strong winds are our biggest problem at the moment and lightning is also causing more problems," Mr Deiner said. </s> South African authorities say at least eight people have been killed in an explosion at a munitions plant near Cape Town.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast at the Rheinmetall Denel Munition depot, which shook homes and rattled windows in the area on Monday.

According to the African News Agency, Cape Town fire official Theo Layne says eight people died.

The agency, which is based in South Africa, says several people are missing and that firefighters went to the scene to extinguish the flames. </s> Nine people have lost their lives in the fires‚ which have destroyed hundreds of homes.

DA Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela offered his condolences to the families of those who had perished in the fires and urged others affected by the disaster to be vigilant of their own safety.

He said he would be visiting the Hout Bay area where two people are reported to have died to offer assistance to those who had been affected.

"I have also visited Wesbank near Kuils River today‚ where a family of four people lost their lives in a fire. I will engage the Western Cape Minister of Social Development in the Western Cape‚ Albert Fritz‚ to request that those who have been traumatised by these fires can receive counselling from his department‚” he said.

He welcomed the responsiveness of the City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue services as well as disaster management.

“We will assist those affected as best we can in dealing with the devastation caused by these fires.”

Three people were killed in separate fires in Kosovo‚ near Philippi. </s> SOMERSET WEST, South Africa — South African authorities say at least eight people have been killed in an explosion at a munitions plant near Cape Town. Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast at the Rheinmetall Denel Munition depot, which shook homes and rattled windows in the area on Monday.

Cape Town fire official Theo Layne says eight people died, the African News Agency reports. The South African-based agency says several people are missing and that firefighters went to the scene to extinguish the flames.

The depot said an explosion occurred at one of its buildings and that it was investigating, Reuters reports. </s> At least nine people have been killed and thousands forced from their homes as Cape Town and surrounding areas were hit by the worst winter storm in 30 years. Millions of people living in shanty towns, who have previously had to cope with the region's worst drought in a century, have been hardest hit, with floods and heavy rain washing away homes built of planks and corrugated zinc sheets.

Victims included four people who died in a fire caused by lightning, three who died in another fire and one who was killed when a home collapsed. The storm is expected to dump more than two inches (50mm) of rain in some areas and trigger waves of up to 12 metres, the South African Weather Service said.

Strong winds are fanning multiple fires, which destroyed dozens of homes and also damaged an evacuated hospital and a school.

Officials say about 10,000 people were evacuated from a scenic coastal town that has been devastated by fast-moving fires.

Over two dozen fires were reported in the area, which are home to dense forests, providing plenty of fuel for the spread of wild fires.

Local media reported that the military plans to help emergency responders in Knysna, which lies on the Garden Route, a popular tourist destination on the southern coast. The town's mayor, Eleanore Bouw-Spies, said the fires were the worst in the region in decades.
At least nine people are killed in fires overnight in Cape Town, South Africa.