Insurers bracing for claims due to Table Mountain fires
By Edward West
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CAPE TOWN - THERE is no tally yet of the numerous insurance claims likely to arise from the devastating fires that raged on Table Mountain yesterday and burnt down several UCT buildings and other structures.
City of Cape Town spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said yesterday morning that several buildings at UCT, including the library and student accommodation buildings, the Rhodes Memorial and its restaurant, the Mostert Mill historic windmill, other structures and an unknown number of vehicles had been destroyed.
He said all available resources to prevent loss of life and further damage, including hundreds of firefighters from around the city and four helicopters, had been mobilised by the City and SA National Parks, which controls the mountain land.
Corbin August
Buildings on the Rhodes Estate and UCT campus were damaged in the fire on Sunday.
Some of the buildings can be repaired, but will likely be very expensive to restore.
The damage to historical buildings in a Cape Town fire is devastating , according to the Cape Town Heritage Trust.
The fire, which swept down the mountain from Rhodes Memorial on Sunday morning, saw historical buildings on and around the UCT campus severely damaged.
Strong winds had since pushed the fire around Devil s Peak to Vredehoek.
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The fire gutted the Jagger Library on Sunday afternoon, with UCT still to establish the extent of the damage to its collections.