Emergency and rescue agencies in Cape Town have brought down 12 hikers on Table Mountain amid a vegetation fire that ignited on the upper slopes at Fountain Ravine above Camps Bay on Friday night.
The South African National Parks (SANParks) says one woman was in a serious condition and had to be airlifted for urgent medical attention.
The group was on the hiking trail in the Platteklip Gorge section when they became overwhelmed by dense smoke.
On Saturday morning, the aerial cableway was closed as a precaution.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established.
SANParks spokesperson Lauren Howard-Clayton says more crews will be joining firefighting efforts.
“The western slopes, below the cable station, are still inaccessible to ground crews. TMNP can confirm that a chopper from Working on Fire in the Southern Cape, will be operational within the area as of 12pm this afternoon. Fresh ground crews from NCC Wildfires have been dispatched and carted with the cable car, and a further request has been placed with the Volunteer Wildfire Services for assistance as of 8am this morning.”
On Saturday firefighters were still battling
About 40 firefighters were battling to extinguish a fire that was burning in a ravine on top of Table Mountain. A chopper was also water-bombing the blaze from the air.
Howard-Clayton says, “We are going to continue with our fire suppression efforts until the fire is contained. We urge our visitors to please steer clear of the Platteklip Gorge hiking trail as the area is very volatile at this stage. Thank to our ground crews as well as our aerial crews as well as Metro Search and Rescue for your dedication during this time.”