On Monday, emergency services reported that six firefighters have died while battling a bushfire in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, with two others in critical condition.
It is suspected by authorities that poachers trying to trap animals may have ignited Sunday’s fire.
Emergency services spokesperson Roland Robertson reported that three firefighters perished at the fire’s location near Boston, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) inland from the east coast city of Durban.
He further noted that three additional firefighters, who had been treated and placed on ventilators, succumbed shortly after being taken to the hospital.
Robertson mentioned that one firefighter remains on a ventilator in the hospital, while another is also in critical condition.
He added that some of the poachers are also believed to have been injured in the fires near private farms, which spread uncontrollably due to wind and dry conditions. No arrests of suspected poachers have been reported.
According to the local government, wildfires have raged in other parts of KwaZulu-Natal over the past week due to heat and wind, resulting in the deaths of at least seven more people throughout the province.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of South Africa, multiple storms have struck, bringing gale-force winds and flooding.
Over the past 10 days, Cape Town and nearby regions on the southwestern tip of South Africa have suffered extensive damage due to a series of cold fronts originating from the Atlantic Ocean.
These severe weather events have impacted approximately 15,000 people, causing significant harm to thousands of homes and other structures, leaving many residents displaced and in urgent need of assistance.
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