Bush fires in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province in the east of the country have killed 23 people, an official said today.
The fires hit 1,100 households, destroyed livestock and left swathes of crop and grazing land smouldering.
Tree plantations owned by Sappi Ltd, the world's leading maker of fine paper used in glossy magazines, were destroyed.
Fanned by hot, dry, windy conditions, the fires were believed to have been started either by "human negligence or human error", said Lennox Mabaso, a local government spokesman.
The fires occurred mostly to the north of the east coast city of Durban, near the port town of Richards Bay.
"This is one of the worst fire seasons we have ever had in this province, especially looking at the number of deaths," Mr Mabaso said, adding the provincial government was providing food and shelter for hundreds of fire victims.
Reuters