UPDATE: Alex fire extinguished
Distraught residents watched helplessly as their belongings were engulfed in flames.
JOHANNESBURG - Firefighters have managed to extinguish a fire that burned down about 200 homes in Alexandra on Friday.
Distraught residents watched helplessly as their belongings were engulfed in flames.
Firefighters and emergency personnel are still on site.
[PHOTOS] Around 200 homes in Alexandra are currently on fire, and firefighters and emergency personnel are on the scene battling the blaze. @Dominic_Majola pic.twitter.com/khX7m9vQ7M
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 24, 2022
EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) June 24, 2022
The blaze is alleged to have been started after the power was restored to the area causing the grid to overload.
Eyewitnesses News spoke to residents who say one shack initially caught fire, but the situation worsened as firefighters only arrived an hour after they had been called.
The damage from the fire is extensive, and some homes nearby have also been affected.
Many residents of the destroyed homes were at work and were unaware of what had happened.
Joburg emergency spokesperson Nana Radebe said the disaster management team was on-site to try and assist the affected residents.
"At this moment, Disaster Management is still busy making sure that everyone is accounted for. Fortunately, the have not been any reports of injuries or fatalities. We will do preliminary investigations on what caused the fire."
