No injuries have been reported, and authorities say the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. Ward Councillor Cheslyn Steenberg said the tent had already been in poor condition before the blaze.

“This tent was not in a very good state to live in. My office communicated that with all the relevant stakeholders, including the Department of Home Affairs and Health, to come in and see how they can assist, including repatriating them back to their countries or voluntary deportation,” he said.

Steenberg added that the incident comes amid a pending court battle over the refugees’ eviction from the site. “Unfortunately, this has now happened,” he said.

–SABC/ChannelAfrica–