The Knysna Series

Date: 6-10 June 2017

Place: Knysna, Eastern Cape, RSA 

Death toll: 7 people

A devastating fire destroyed large parts of Knysna in June and left seven people dead.

Scores of people were left homeless. The municipality estimates the cost of rehabilitation infrastructure at R113 million, excluding R30 million for environmental damage.

More tragic is the loss of life. Three of the victims were the Uitenhage family. Madre Johnston, 33 – who was eight months pregnant – husband Tony, 34, and son Michael perished in the raging forest fires while fleeing for safety from their Sedgefield small-holding. It was little Michael’s third birthday (Herald Live: 2017).

Bibliography

Alcoa FM News. (2017). Act of God ruled out in Knysna fires. [online] Available at: https://www.algoafm.co.za/article/local/87757/act-of-god-ruled-out-in-knysna-fires [Accessed 25 Oct. 2017].

Herald Live. (2017). Former Uitenhage family die in Knysna fire. [online] Herald Live. Available at: http://www.heraldlive.co.za/news/top-news/2017/06/08/former-uitenhage-family-die-knysna-fire/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2017].