Anchua Naruseb
WALVIS BAY – Another massive shack fire in Kuisebmond resulted in 12 shacks and two cars burning down. This led angry residents to attack firefighters, who they accused of reacting sluggishly.
The skirmishes led to the arrest of one resident. This was the scene on Sunday, around 14h00 in Thomas Hochland Street, when a shack fire went out of control taking down 11 more in its wake according to firefighter at the scene, Conradie Kaoseb.
“The cause of the fire is still unknown due to lack of cooperation from the residents,” Kaoseb said. The anger towards the firefighters is explained by community member, Grace Kaholi who said the reaction time of the firefighters was slow.
“The people risked their lives, they stood on top of houses to kill this fire and the fire brigade only came at last minute to kill the little fire which was left, then they still get paid the full amount for it which is not right at all,” Kaholi angrily stated.
She went on to demand that the residents that fought the fire be compensated for their efforts. “Their cars even burnt down, there is nothing left for these people now,” Kaholi yelled.
Another resident, Enrich Gariseb, was part of the first responders to the fire. “When I arrived, four shacks were already on fire. My friends stayed at those houses so I helped them fight the fires. We fought the fires, the firefighters were not much help,” he stated.
The outrage from community members resulted in them attacking the firefighters at the scene by throwing car tyres and even swinging an axe at them.
Community member, Sem Haindongo who witnessed a man trying to attack the firefighters with an axe, reported this incident. “There was a tall guy who was beating the firefighter but there was another who had an axe. He tried to cut the firefighter with the axe. From there, he went into hiding and hid his axe in his trousers,” explained Haindongo.
This led to an arrest at the scene. No firefighters were injured and no deaths have thus far been reported in the shack fires.
Caption: (Anger)