In South Africa, fire on Table Mountain, emblematic of Cape Town

A fire broke out on Sunday April 18 on Table Mountain, the iconic summit that overlooks Cape Town, at the tip of South Africa, and was not under control in the evening, depending on the city.

The flames destroyed part of the adjoining restaurant of a monument to the glory of British colonist Cecil Rhodes, which offers exceptional views of the harbor, houses and several buildings of the prestigious Cape Town University below, including the library, a specified the city in a press release.

A firefighter was hospitalized with burns, the city said, while his colleagues continued to fight the blaze into the evening. Hundreds of students had left their residences on foot, walking along the main road to escape the fumes and find refuge, according to AFP journalists there. They were all evacuated in the evening, the city said, as “Strong winds” spread the fire.

“Literary treasures have disappeared”

Table Mountain National Park, which spans much of the city’s unbuilt areas, asked in the morning, especially on social media, hikers to immediately evacuate the area and motorists to pick up their vehicles. vehicles parked nearby.

The firefighters had received a first alert shortly before 9 a.m. local (7 a.m. GMT). Reinforcements were deployed and three helicopters participated in the efforts, dropping bundles of water on the flames.

In the university library, “Literary treasures have tragically disappeared”, But “Some of the most valuable works have been saved thanks to the activation of rolling doors”, the city said.

The World with AFP