The foreign national believed to be responsible for the fire that displaced more than 400 people is still at large.
A fire ripped through roughly 130 shacks in the Quarry Road Informal Settlement near Reservoir Hills outside Durban.
The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial government confirmed on Saturday that 477 people had been displaced.
This included 299 children and 178 adults who are now homeless, with government teams continuing to document those affected.
Relief efforts have involved several organisations, as government scramble to find essentials for the destitute families.
Quarry Road fire
Authorities were notified of a fire at the Quarry Road informal settlements shortly after 10.30am on Thursday morning.
Community members told authorities that the fire began in a shack inhabited by a foreign national, with the suspect fleeing the area.
“About 130 shacks were destroyed in a fire that allegedly started in a shack rented by a foreign national who is still at large,” stated KZN Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma on Saturday.
No injuries or fatalities were immediately reported from the scene, but the fire had left entire families homeless.
The national and provincial departments of human settlements have been assisting the fire victims, as has the department of education.
Displaced families have been housed in temporary marquees, with school uniforms being sourced so that the children do not miss out on school work.
Duma thanked the private organisations who had come to the assistance of the fire victims.
Gift of the Givers provided mattresses and blankets, while the Al Imdaad Foundation supplied ration packs.
Additionally, the Red Cross, Ikabawo Performing Arts Academy and the local community assisted by supplying meals.
‘Disappear after causing a crisis’
Municipal fire crews attended the blaze, with Duma thanking firefighters and all involved for their response.
“We commend eThekwini Municipality for swiftly extinguishing the fire before it could escalate and cause more devastation.
“Speed and efficiency are what should forever characterize our work as we move forward,” said Duma.
The MEC stated that provincial government was worried about “the tendency of foreign nationals who disappear after causing a crisis”.
As well as the fire, he noted that a woman was killed and several others were injured in an accident with a Zambian-registered truck near the M7 and N2 interchange on Wednesday.
“We have cases of undocumented foreign drivers who have in the past disappeared after causing horrific accidents along the N3 that resulted in the death of innocent people.
“We will never turn a blind eye to concerns raised by residents regarding undocumented foreign nationals,” Duma concluded.
