Hundreds of Durban Homes Destroyed in South African Fire

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed by a fire in a poor neighborhood of the South African port city of Durban.

One person is known to have died in the blaze that tore through the Kennedy Road informal settlement early this morning, but there are fears that more bodies could be found.

Video footage shows the twisted remains of corrugated iron sheets used to build the shacks amid the smoldering debris with People seen trying to salvage their belongings.

The cause of the fire is still unknown.

However, some eyewitnesses say it started when two people, who had been drinking, got into an argument.

A South African Red Cross spokesman described it as a disaster and estimated that about 1,000 shacks may have been destroyed, leaving about 3,000 people homeless.

Siyabonga Hlatshwayo told newsmen that the Red Cross had been distributing hot meals, mattresses, and blankets to those affected and he appealed to the public for more donations.