WATCH | Woman killed, two seriously burned in Pietermaritzburg fire

Rescue and humanitarian efforts are under way after a fire tore through the SWAPO informal settlement in Copesville, Pietermaritzburg, killing a woman and leaving her child and partner with serious burn wounds.

Emergency and relief teams are working in difficult conditions, with steep terrain and thick, slippery mud following intense rainfall complicating access to the settlement.

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The fire destroyed between 13 and 14 shacks in the early hours of Saturday morning.

KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma said he was contacted by a distressed community leader at about 3:30 am and had assigned provincial and national human settlements officials to work with Msunduzi Municipality to assist affected residents.

“At 3:30 am we were contacted by the community leader, a distressed community member alerting us about the death of a female resident following a fire that destroyed 13 to 14 shacks in Swapo Informal Settlements, Copesville – Pietermaritzburg,” Duma said.

He said the woman’s child and partner had sustained serious burn injuries.

Our hearts are with the child and a partner of the deceased who sustained serious burn wounds. They were taken to the hospital, where they are receiving urgent medical attention.

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The fire comes after heavy rainfall affected parts of KwaZulu-Natal, adding to the difficulties facing emergency and humanitarian teams trying to reach and assist residents in informal settlements.

Duma said the rapid shift between extreme weather events and fire was placing already vulnerable families under further strain.

“Critically, the rapid swinging and devastating transition from floods to catastrophic fire that destroys shelter inflicts profound emotional and financial trauma on families already facing socio-economic challenges.”

He said government teams had been deployed to work with the municipality in providing assistance to residents who had lost their homes and belongings.

“It is for these reasons we have assigned teams from my office and the human settlements departments in the province and nationally to work with officials from Mssunduzi Municipality to assist distressed communities.”