At least 50 shacks destroyed in Durban North fire
On this rainy Monday, scores of people are without homes after about 50 shacks burned down at a Durban North informal settlement.
Seven eThekwini fire trucks were dispatched to the settlement just before 7pm on Sunday to douse the flames at the corner of Sea Cow Lake Road and Johanna Road.
The fire department says it took over 30 firefighters around three hours to bring the inferno under control. No injuries have been reported.
Ward 34 councillor Bobby Maharaj says he has contacted disaster management who will assess the damage on Monday.
While the cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed, he says they have a huge problem with illegal connections.
"Many of the fires that have taken place over the last seven years in Ward 34 have been because of illegal connections,” says Maharaj.
"It is a major problem, with all due respect - we have informal settlers staying in areas you and I will never live in it is unsuitable, but they don't have any other place to go to. There has been no progress as far as the municipality is concerned with regard to building them homes. There is no formal electricity provided to them."
