A tragic fire swept through the Plastic View informal settlement in Pretoria late on Thursday night, resulting in the death of a 13-year-old girl and leaving over 100 shacks destroyed.Preliminary investigations indicate the blaze started due to a gas leak from a fridge when a family attempted to light a stove.The young girl was trapped in a locked room, while her parents suffered severe burns attempting to rescue her.

Emergency teams from the City of Tshwane were dispatched to tackle the fast-spreading fire, and disaster management officials are continuing to assess the extent of the damage.

Hundreds of residents were left without shelter, food, or basic necessities, forcing many to spend the night in the open air among the ruins of their homes.Survivors have begun salvaging materials to rebuild their shacks.Residents expressed concerns about fire safety, noting that incidents like this have become more frequent recently.The City of Tshwane is coordinating with NGOs and various departments to provide urgent relief and support to affected families.The community remains in mourning as they start the difficult process of recovery.