Cape Town - Five persons died in three separate fires on Christmas day, said the City of Cape Town's Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse.
"Fire and Rescue Service responded at 00:15 to informal structures alight in Vilakazi Street, Masiphumelele.
"Several structures were destroyed and during mopping up operations the bodies of a man and a second body burnt beyond recognition were discovered," Carelse said.
In the second incident at 22:11 the body of a man was discovered after structures were destroyed in the Siqalo informal Settlement.
"Services also responded at 23:52 to informal structures alight in Vrygrond, Lavender Hill. The crews were confronted by an extremely volatile crowd and police presence was requested.
"The bodies of two men were discovered whilst a third suffered 80% burn wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital."
Carelse said that all these scenes were then handed over to the South African Police Service.
Earlier in the week, a family member of one of the three people who died in a fire in the Masiphumelele informal settlements said after firefighters extinguished the blaze he saw the charred body of his brother sitting on a couch.
Sibusio Nondonga, 29, told of his ordeal at seeing the remains of his 30-year-old brother Nkosinathi, who died trying to escape his informal structure engulfed in flames.
The fire started at about 4.30am on Monday and destroyed another five shacks. Two other unknown males also lost their lives.
Nondonga was among several residents busy with mop-up operations and searching through the debris to salvage valuables. The local councillor arranged for material to rebuild the structures that were gutted by the fire.