JOHANNESBURG — A storm pummeled the coastline around Cape Town on Wednesday, unleashing heavy rains and high winds that fanned fires and forced evacuations. At least eight people were killed.
Many people in Knysna, a town on the scenic Garden Route east of Cape Town, fled as blazes tore through homes.
An evacuated hospital was among the buildings that caught fire, and the main highway was closed, South African news outlets reported.
Clinton Manuel, Knysna’s fire chief, said his teams were struggling to contain the flames. “This wind is blowing very, very strong, causing the fire to spread extremely rapidly,” he said, according to the African News Agency.
The town’s mayor, Eleanore Bouw-Spies, described the fires as the worst in decades.
In and around Cape Town, four people died in a fire caused by lightning, three in another fire and one when a home collapsed, disaster management officials said.
Workers took measures to protect some poor residents who live in makeshift homes. But hundreds of homes were flooded or damaged, the authorities said.
The South African military said it had placed a helicopter on standby to help with evacuations.
While the storm provided some relief from a drought, officials said sustained rainfall over several years was needed to replenish Cape Town’s reservoirs. Officials urged residents on Wednesday to capture rain and use it for flushing toilets and other needs.
JOHANNESBURG — A storm pummeled the coastline around Cape Town on Wednesday, unleashing heavy rains and high winds that fanned fires and forced evacuations. At least eight people were killed.
Many people in Knysna, a town on the scenic Garden Route east of Cape Town, fled as blazes tore through homes. An evacuated hospital was among the buildings that caught fire, and the main highway was closed, South African news outlets reported.
Clinton Manuel, Knysna’s fire chief, said his teams were struggling to contain the flames. “This wind is blowing very, very strong, causing the fire to spread extremely rapidly,” he said, according to the African News Agency.
The town’s mayor, Eleanore Bouw-Spies, described the fires as the worst in decades.
In and around Cape Town, four people died in a fire caused by lightning, three in another fire and one when a home collapsed, disaster management officials said.
Workers took measures to protect some poor residents who live in makeshift homes. But hundreds of homes were flooded or damaged, the authorities said.
The South African military said it had placed a helicopter on standby to help with evacuations.
While the storm provided some relief from a drought, officials said sustained rainfall over several years was needed to replenish Cape Town’s reservoirs. Officials urged residents on Wednesday to capture rain and use it for flushing toilets and other needs.
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