WALVIS BAY – About 140 residents of the Tutaleni suburb at Walvis Bay watched haplessly on Saturday afternoon how their homes went up in flames as yet another fire ravaged through their structures.
Fire-fighters and the public took at least an hour to try and contain the fire, which destroyed 25 shacks and three brick homes. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. When New Era arrived at the scene, homeowners were scrambling to save some of their belongings before that too got consumed by the fire, just like their homes.
“It is very sad, and I want to cry. All my belongings that I gathered over the years are gone. I am now homeless with my four children,” one of the victims said while pulling on a hosepipe to help the firefighters.
Sergeant Anastacia Frans, the acting community affairs commander, yesterday explained that the fire initially broke out at one of the homes in Guinea Fowl Street, where nine shacks burnt down in the first yard and then spread to the neighbouring three houses.
“Four shacks burnt on Erf 6204 and one on Erf 6205. Six burnt on erf 6206, and five on erf 6195. At least 25 shacks and three houses were destroyed by the fire,” Frans said. Although not confirmed yet, some of the shack fire victims claim that one of the shack owners came back intoxicated and started cooking.
“He left the pot on the stove, and that is what caused the fire,” one of the victims alleged at the scene. Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes, who was also at the scene, said backyard shacks are indeed a problem, and they are addressing it.
“Farm 37 is not far away. This council has been pushing to get it underway. We are going there. Our people cannot live like this,” he stressed. Forbes also told New Era that the fire victims have been assisted with temporary shelter.
“We responded swiftly after the incident and provided tents for temporary shelter, blankets and water. However, my office will see that they get assisted further,” he added.
This is the third time in recent years that Walvis Bay is experiencing shack fires of this magnitude. The first shack fire occurred in 26 July 2020, whereby over 200 people were left homeless at the Twaloloka informal settlement.
They finally got new homes earlier this year after government intervened. The second fire happened in January this year, whereby 121 people were left homeless. Some are still currently living in shacks while other have rebuild their shacks, again with flammable materials.