Death toll from KZN wildfires rises to 7
According to KZN COGTA, six of the victims died when their homes caught fire while the seventh passed away due to a structural fire at the Masinenge informal settlement.
The aftermath of a wildfire that claimed the life of a man in Eshowe, under the uMlalazi local municipality. Picture: X/@kzncogta
JOHANNESBURG - The death toll from the wildfires which have ravaged large parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has risen to seven.
According to the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), six of the victims died when their homes caught fire, while the seventh passed away due to a structural fire at the Masinenge informal settlement.
Two of the deceased were children, two boys aged two and nine years old.
The department has assigned disaster management teams to provide support to the affected families.
The fires broke out last week, leaving a trail of destruction.
READ: Aid agencies urge KZN residents to exercise caution in the wake of wildfires
COGTA spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila said the farming community had been severely affected.
“In terms of the impact on the farming communities, the wildfires have also damaged crops and livestock, with farmers losing 1,600 animals and 14,000 hectares of grazing land destroyed.”
COGTA MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi is set to visit disaster-hit areas in the Zululand District on Sunday.