One person died in a fire that broke out in a slum on Malacca Road, near the Red Hill cemetery in Durban, early Saturday morning. It is said that 81 people were left homeless after their shacks burned down.
The KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Indigenous Affairs Trustee Thulasizwe Buthekezi has sent a disaster team to the area to assist in the situation.
The department blames the winter wind that fueled the fire that destroyed 44 buildings and slightly damaged four others. As a result, the disaster department in Durban built a temporary shelter and distributed emergency food, blankets, and mattresses to 81 affected people. KZN COGTA has warned that the drop in winter temperatures significantly increases the risk of open fires in slum settlements. He urges people to avoid putting burners in their homes and make sure to put out lit fires and candles.