PICS: Fight allegedly to blame for devastating #AlexFire

Published Dec 7, 2018

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Johannesburg - As clean up operations continue into a massive fire in Alexandra that left many residents displaced, new details have emerged into the cause of the devastating blaze. 

The fire broke out on Thursday evening at the Greenville informal settlement reportedly after a fight broke out between residents. 

No injuries or fatalities have been reported at this stage.

An Alex resident, in a call to 702, revealed that a love triangle gone wrong was to blame for the blaze that left hundreds of shacks affected. 

According to the caller, there was a dispute that resulted in one of those involved "taking revenge" and setting his rival's shack on fire, resulting in the widespread fire.

Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson Nana Radebe was unable to confirm these allegations, only saying that a fight was believed to be the cause of the devastating fire.

"It's alleged that there was a fight but police are still investigating. We've not received any confirmation if that has happened," she said. 

She added that claims of a love triangle remained "hearsay" at this stage. 

Radebe was unable to provide a clear figure of those displaced, saying disaster management was still consolidating a list and consulting a number of NGOs.

Among these was Gift of the Givers, who confirmed they were still at the site of the smouldering fire. 

"Exact details as to the cause, loss of lives, number of homes destroyed, numbers of people displaced, extent of material loss is not quantifiable currently.

"Gift of the Givers have moved a mother who gave birth yesterday [Thursday] and another mother with four children who lost everything in the fire, to our Logistics Centre in Bramley," the NGO said in a statement.

The organisation also confirmed that its teams were registering the remaining victims and transporting them to a nearby hall where they will be given food, water, blankets and mattresses.  

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