CAPE TOWN, 19 April, 2021 (TON): On Sunday, fire broke out on Table Mountain that went out of control till Monday morning.

The city said, the flames destroyed part of the restaurant next to a monument to British colonist Cecil Rhodes, which offers an exceptional view of the harbor, houses and several buildings of the prestigious Cape Town University below, including the library.

One firefighter was hospitalized with burns, the city said, while his colleagues continued to fight the fire in the evening.

Hundreds of students had left their residences on foot, walking along the main road to escape the smoke and find shelter, the media reported.

The city said, strong winds spread the fire.

The Table Mountain National Park, which extends over much of the undeveloped areas of the city, had asked in the morning, including on social networks, to hikers to evacuate the area immediately and motorists to pick up their vehicles parked nearby.

However, the firefighters had received the first alert shortly before 09:00 local (07:00 GMT). Reinforcements were deployed and three helicopters were assisting in the efforts, dropping water packs on the flames.