Cape Town – Emergency relief was being arranged for almost 10 000 residents of Knysna who have been forced to flee their homes in the face of a raging fire, which had devastated almost 20 suburbs of the popular south coast town.
The Western Cape Disaster Management Centre said on Thursday morning that humanitarian support was being co-ordinated for an estimated 8 000-10 000 residents of the greater Knysna area.
The WCDMC confirmed a total of eight storm and fire related fatalities in the Western Cape which has been hammered by high winds, pounding rain and thunderous seas which caused havoc across large parts of Cape Town on Wednesday, ripping roofs off buildings and leading to widespread flooding in low-lying areas. Several thousand people were affected by the storm and had to be accommodated at emergency shelters.