Firefighters battle raging blaze on South Africa's Table Mountain

The Table Mountain. /CFP

A large contingent of firefighters are battling a raging blaze on South African landmark tourist attraction Table Mountain, which overlooks the city of Cape Town. The fire broke out on the lower slopes of Table Mountain above Deer Park Drive on Saturday evening.

The South African government resumed international travel on October 1, aiming to boost the tourist market hit hard by coronavirus pandemic. But the sudden Table Mountain fire has cast a shadow over the prospects of the country's tourism industry.

According to the local City Fire and Rescue Service, the fire broke out at the foot of the mountain at 6 p.m. on October 31 and the blaze spread quickly halfway up the 1,086-meter-high mountain because of the strong wind.

The dense smoke caused by the fire quickly covered the sky around Table Mountain, resulting in a significant decrease in visibility in surrounding areas, and people in neighboring areas could also smell a strong smell of soot.

The fire department dispatched 17 firefighting appliances and 70 firefighters at first time, and 20 staff members and three vehicles from Table Mountain National Park were also on the scene.

More firefighters will join them and a firefighting helicopter is slated to arrive in a day.

No casualties or property damage was reported so far.