Cape Town officials deny claims of too little water to fight a Boxing Day blaze
Residents of a Cape Town informal settlement that burnt to the ground on Tuesday claim the fire could have been extinguished sooner if there had been enough water. Cape Town is experiencing its worst drought in more than 100 years. About 300 people were left homeless after the blaze tore through 150 shacks in Valhalla Park. Although city officials denied the allegations‚ Delmaine Cottee‚ the ANC councillor in the area‚ said people had maintained that fire trucks were “half empty”. “People are very angry‚” said Cottee. “They said there was not sufficient water.” Cottee also said neighbours could not use their hose pipes to douse flames while waiting for firefighters because water pressure had been reduced — and fire hydrants close to the area had been vandalised and could not be used. However, Theo Layne‚ Cape Town fire and rescue services spokesperson‚ said eight fire engines and five full water tankers — which equates to more than 50,000 litres — were sent to Valhalla Park. “Water ...
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