Many victims left homeless

ADOL KAURE
Adolf Kaure and Leandrea Louw

No injuries or deaths were reported during the shack fire which occurred in Mondesa extension number 8 last week.

According to the Namibian police's regional crime investigations coordinator for the Erongo region, deputy commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, the cause of the fire which occurred at about 15:30 on 17 May, is still not determined.

Iikuyu said that 11 shacks located within the property of three neighbouring houses, were destroyed by the fire while most of the owners were at work.

“It is suspected that the fire started from a shack at Erf number 3722 and spread to the neighbouring shacks at erf numbers 3709 and 3721," said Iikuyu.

Although there were no fatalities or injuries reported, the owners’ properties were damaged by the fire. The properties which were set ablaze include household appliances, clothing, food and personal documents.

The emergency response service arrived at the scene shortly after the fire started to extinguish the flames which prevented further damage to some of the shack owners’ valuables.

Iikuyu said that the police will continue their investigation into the case.

In another incident, 17 shacks burnt to the ground in the Tutaleni Suburb of Walvis Bay on Sunday afternoon between 12:00 and 13:00. The shacks were completely destroyed and the fire is suspected to have started in one of the shacks. Fortunately no one was injured. Chief Dennis Basson of the Walvis Bay Fire Brigade confirmed that the cause of the fire is still unknown.

“According to the residents, most of them were at work, and they cannot say with certainty what might have caused the fire. The evidence always burns away, making it extremely difficult for us to determine the exact cause of the fire.”