Reporter – Felicity Jooste
PHILIPPI:- Heartbreak struck the Kosovo informal settlement in Philippi in the early hours of Monday morning, 6 October 2025, when a devastating fire tore through several homes, leaving three people dead and 14 others displaced.
According to reports, the blaze erupted shortly after 3am and quickly spread through the tightly packed shacks, destroying at least six informal structures before firefighters could bring it under control.
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service responded within minutes of being alerted around 3.05am. Multiple firefighting crews battled the flames and managed to extinguish the fire by 4.30am.
Tragically, at around 4.20am, the bodies of three victims were discovered among the debris. All had sustained fatal burn injuries. Two of the deceased have been identified as 19 and 20 years old, while the age of the third victim has not yet been confirmed.
The Samora Machel SAPS have since launched an inquest investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirmed that officers were called to the scene around 7am, where medical personnel declared all three victims deceased.
Authorities are urging anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or to report anonymously via the MySAPS mobile application.
Our thoughts are with the families and community members affected by this tragic loss.