A 29-year-old woman died and her disabled father had a lucky escape – he was in hospital – when their house caught fire in the early hours of Monday 6 July in 'W' Street in Tantyi location.
A 29-year-old woman died and her disabled father had a lucky escape – he was in hospital – when their house caught fire in the early hours of Monday 6 July in 'W' Street in Tantyi location.
According to Andile Vulindlu, who is the cousin of the deceased Buyiswa Vulindlu, the victim was alone when the incident happened.
He said Buyiswa was alone in the house and he was in Joza.
He said neighbours told him that they saw the fire and ran to the scene, but they were not sure whether there was a person inside the house or not.
They told him it became difficult for them to enter the house because the fire had already spread all through it.
Andile said he received a call fom the community about what happened and rushed back home.
"I arrived here and the fire had already been stopped. I was told that the fire started at around 2am on Monday. "When I arrived later and saw this, Buyiswa was in bed and there was a two burner stove next to her bed.
"I think the stove was on and she was trying to make the house warm. I think maybe she fell asleep and the fire started from the stove while she was asleep. "The place that she was sleeping on at the bed could be seen.
"She died on the scene and could not be rescued. People said the fire rescue team arrived very late," said Andile.
Makana fire services manager, William Welkom, said that when they got the call about the fire they acted quickly.
"We received a call at 1.28am on Monday morning and we immediately responded to that. Our first truck came back to the station at 2.40 and the last one at 3.40 so I can't really say we were late. "When we arrived the house was already alight. Only after the fire was extinguished did we discover that there had been someone inside the house and, very unfortunately, that they had not survived," said Welkom.
Buyiswa was living with her father who was in hospital during the day of the incident according to Andile.
The father has apparently been diagnosed with diabetes and now has only one leg and uses a wheelchair.
"They have now lost all their belongings and that includes their identity documents and her father's wheelchair," said Andile.
"We are still confused where to start from now because Buyiswa had only one sister, Bulelwa, who is also a bit mentally disturbed. "She is living in another house. All we need now is a shelter carry on with the funeral.
We can't hold a funeral in the shack that is left because it's leaking and very tinyl," Andile added.
On Tuesday he said their ward councillor, Vuyani Kolisi, visited the burnt down, two-roomed home to hear about what had happened. Andile said Kolisi told them that he would try and get them a temporary house structure.
Bulelwa Vulindlu said she was still unsure of what was going to happen now, but she was going to come back and be with her father.
They said another challenge was that their father now had no wheelchair and there is nobody working in the home.
Gift of the Givers have reportedly donated food parcels and blankets.
At this stage, they are uncertain of the date of the funeral.
