Cape Town fire destroys historic collections

Precious collections and buildings have been destroyed in Cape Town by a fire that is still raging on the slopes of Table Mountain.

University of Cape Town officials say the full extent of the damage caused by the fire will only be known once the affected buildings have been declared safe, and assessors have gone in.

Officials have reported however that the university’s 200-year-old Jagger library has been reduced to ashes and that part of its African Studies library, African Film collection, government publications and other publications were affected.

Lost in the fire are some 3,500 collections, including the Bleek-Lloyd collection of San (Bushman) language and mythology, according to the university.

Some of the university’s residences were also damaged.

Classes have been suspended there for the next two days and some 4,000 university students have been evacuated.

Displaced students were housed overnight at nearby hotels.

Meanwhile, the public have been donating food and water to those affected and some have offered shelter.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: Nature.com