One dead as shack fire destroys 12 homes in Germiston’s Marathon informal settlement
An early morning blaze in the Marathon informal settlement in Germiston claimed the life of a man in his 40s and left multiple families displaced. Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) responded swiftly to contain the flames.
A devastating fire broke out in the early hours of Friday morning, August 1, in the Marathon informal settlement, Germiston, resulting in the death of an adult male and the destruction of 12 shacks.
According to the City of Ekurhuleni’s Disaster and Emergency Management Services Department (DEMS), the fire was reported at 00:36. Firefighting crews from Primrose, Edenvale and Bedfordview fire stations were dispatched to the scene.
The first team to arrive was from Primrose, followed closely by units from Bedfordview and Edenvale. In total, 17 firefighters were deployed to battle the flames.
Using two attack lines, they worked in unison to contain and eventually extinguish the fire.
Following reports of a possible entrapment, search, rescue and recovery operations commenced.
Tragically, firefighters discovered the charred remains of a man in his early forties beneath the burnt corrugated iron sheets.
Paramedics on scene confirmed the fatality, and the area was subsequently handed over to the relevant law enforcement authorities.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Investigations are underway by police in conjunction with fire safety officers.
DEMS has urged residents in informal settlements to be vigilant and to follow fire safety precautions, especially during the dry winter months when fires tend to spread rapidly.
