Over 200 people have been left destitute after a fire tore through a section of the Imizamo Yethu informal settlement in Hout Bay.

The fire, which was reported after 7pm on Sunday, destroyed approximately 60 shacks.

The City’s Fire and Rescue Service says the blaze was contained after midnight. At this point firefighters were apparently confronted by a volatile crowd who blocked access to the fire. Fire service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse says law enforcement and police had to be called in to stabalise the situation.