At least 20 people were left destitute when a shack fire broke out in extension one in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg.
According to reports, about eight shacks caught fire and were razed to the ground when the blaze erupted on Friday morning.
City of Johannesburg emergency management services (EMS) confirmed that there were no injuries or fatalities reported during and after the blaze was extinguished.
Speaking for the EMS, Robert Mulaudzi said the incident was reported at about 10am and the EMS crews were dispatched to the scene to conduct a rescue operation.
“The cause of the incident is still a subject of investigation, however, we have alerted our colleagues from disaster management to assist displaced people,” said Mulaudzi.
Since the start of winter, the EMS has recorded a rising number of fire incidents which have led to loss of lives and damage to property.
On Sunday, two separate fire incidents were reported in George Goch and Kya Sands in Johannesburg, where one person was killed.
Another shack fire claimed a man’s life in Doornkop, Soweto early on Tuesday morning.
Mulaudzi urged residents to always look after heating devices that might spark fires in their homes and appealed to home owners to not leave heating appliances unattended.
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