The municipality of Swakopmund has cautioned its residents to desist from illegal electrical connections and put out candles before they leave home or go to bed.

Nineteen people were left homeless after their shacks burned to the ground in Mondesa, near Swakopmund, on Monday.

The department of works from the Swakopmund municipality was on site to clear the area while the offices of the Chief Executive Officer and the Mayor handed out food, mattresses, blankets, clothes, and other basic necessities to those affected by the fire.