New Rest Informal Settlement fire claims two lives

Two people have died in a fire that swept through the New Rest Informal Settlement in Wellington early on Sunday morning. The fire has destroyed nearly 200 structures, leaving over 800 people displaced.

The Drakenstein Municipality’s fire and rescue service is still on-site battling flare-ups, while the police and the forensics department search for missing family members.

Humanitarian aid organisation, Gift of the Givers, arrived early in the morning to assess the situation and provided immediate relief.

“Gift of the Givers teams were called by frantic community members and fire victims pleading for our assistance as the fire is sweeping through the informal settlement. Gift of the Givers teams are currently on the ground to do assessments, the fire department is currently extinguishing the last of the flare-ups, the SAPS and forensic units are on the ground, as community members are reporting missing family members. Gift of the Givers teams will provide immediate humanitarian relief today, and tomorrow we will extend further humanitarian assistance,” Gift of the Givers spokesperson Ali Sablay says.