TWO siblings died trapped in a burning flat in the early hours yesterday.
Their father, Matthew Abrahams, was seriously injured when he arrived at the flat later as he charged into the flames to try and save his children Gabriel, 10, and Nathan, 11.
But he could not reach the bedroom where the children had been sleeping, as the fire had already engulfed it.
The children died of smoke inhalation. Abrahams, now in hospital, was badly burnt on his arms, legs and neck.
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Dineo Koena said the blaze was at its height by about 3am yesterday at the Uniwese Flats in Mthatha.
The apartment block is owned by Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and accommodates mainly lecturers, their families and other staff members.
Abrahams and his children lived with his parents, on holiday in India.
His mother is a lecturer at WSU and his father is principal of a private school in Mthatha. Abrahams is a teacher at the school.
The children were reportedly home alone at the time of the fire.
Koena said there was a power cut in Fort Gale at the time and a candle had been left burning in the flat.
An inquest has been opened and police are investigating the exact cause of the fire.
WSU spokeswoman Angela Church confirmed the flat was owned by the university and occupied by one of its lecturers.
“The university wishes to express sympathy and condolences at the death of the two children,” said Church.
According to residents, the fire started at the bottom of the double-storey building.
Unitra Community Radio DJ Tshepo Dombolo Ntelwa, who lives in one of the flats with his wife, also a WSU employee, said he heard the children’s screams at about 2.30am.
“I woke up and asked the security to investigate the source of the screams.
“I could hear they were children but I was not sure from which flat,” said Ntelwa, who is better known as Dombolo.
When the source was discovered, he immediately called the ambulance and the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) fire department and woke up other residents.
Another resident, Lubabalo Zondani, said when he went out to investigate, the flat was already engulfed in flames.
“There was nothing I could do to save them. The poor children were trapped as all the windows had burglar .”
Zondani said the children were screaming from a bedroom upstairs.
He and another neighbour, WSU lecturer Oversea Nabileyo, lashed out at the municipal fire fighters for alleged inadequate work.
“They came here really unprepared. They never made any efforts to save their lives. If they had made efforts, who knows, these children might have been alive,” said Nabileyo.
They said the firefighters did not even have a ladder, and had to get one from one of the residents.
KSD Municipality spokesman Sonwabo Mampoza confirmed that the fire fighters did not have a ladder, but denied they did not make enough effort to save the children. He said their ladder was being used by another vehicle, which was attending to another call.
“When we arrived, the building was already engulfed with the flames.
“But they fought the fire. Our firefighters managed to contained the fire in that flat and we tried to save the children,” said Mampoza, adding that the fire was not reported to them early enough.
Zondani and Dombolo said the father of the children arrived at about 3.30am. It was not clear where the father had been.
Family friend Neil Pierce said when he arrived, the flat was already on fire.
“It was very traumatic and sad to see the bodies of the two children, who were removed from the flat at about 7.20am.”
Family members, who drove from East London, were too distraught to speak to the media. Irshaad Kader, a neighbour and family friend, described the children as lively.
“They were brilliant and cheerful children who loved school. They loved their father dearly and their father loved them very much. They meant the world to each other,” said Kader.
Kader, who stays across the street, said he was woken by Abrahams’s screams.
“I never heard such a scream from a man, he cried a lot. He screamed loudly, hopelessly as if the whole world has been stolen from him,” said Kader. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Two kids killed in flat fire
Their father, Matthew Abrahams, was seriously injured when he arrived at the flat later as he charged into the flames to try and save his children Gabriel, 10, and Nathan, 11.
But he could not reach the bedroom where the children had been sleeping, as the fire had already engulfed it.
The children died of smoke inhalation. Abrahams, now in hospital, was badly burnt on his arms, legs and neck.
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Dineo Koena said the blaze was at its height by about 3am yesterday at the Uniwese Flats in Mthatha.
The apartment block is owned by Walter Sisulu University (WSU) and accommodates mainly lecturers, their families and other staff members.
Abrahams and his children lived with his parents, on holiday in India.
His mother is a lecturer at WSU and his father is principal of a private school in Mthatha. Abrahams is a teacher at the school.
The children were reportedly home alone at the time of the fire.
Koena said there was a power cut in Fort Gale at the time and a candle had been left burning in the flat.
An inquest has been opened and police are investigating the exact cause of the fire.
WSU spokeswoman Angela Church confirmed the flat was owned by the university and occupied by one of its lecturers.
“The university wishes to express sympathy and condolences at the death of the two children,” said Church.
According to residents, the fire started at the bottom of the double-storey building.
Unitra Community Radio DJ Tshepo Dombolo Ntelwa, who lives in one of the flats with his wife, also a WSU employee, said he heard the children’s screams at about 2.30am.
“I woke up and asked the security to investigate the source of the screams.
“I could hear they were children but I was not sure from which flat,” said Ntelwa, who is better known as Dombolo.
When the source was discovered, he immediately called the ambulance and the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) fire department and woke up other residents.
Another resident, Lubabalo Zondani, said when he went out to investigate, the flat was already engulfed in flames.
“There was nothing I could do to save them. The poor children were trapped as all the windows had burglar .”
Zondani said the children were screaming from a bedroom upstairs.
He and another neighbour, WSU lecturer Oversea Nabileyo, lashed out at the municipal fire fighters for alleged inadequate work.
“They came here really unprepared. They never made any efforts to save their lives. If they had made efforts, who knows, these children might have been alive,” said Nabileyo.
They said the firefighters did not even have a ladder, and had to get one from one of the residents.
KSD Municipality spokesman Sonwabo Mampoza confirmed that the fire fighters did not have a ladder, but denied they did not make enough effort to save the children. He said their ladder was being used by another vehicle, which was attending to another call.
“When we arrived, the building was already engulfed with the flames.
“But they fought the fire. Our firefighters managed to contained the fire in that flat and we tried to save the children,” said Mampoza, adding that the fire was not reported to them early enough.
Zondani and Dombolo said the father of the children arrived at about 3.30am. It was not clear where the father had been.
Family friend Neil Pierce said when he arrived, the flat was already on fire.
“It was very traumatic and sad to see the bodies of the two children, who were removed from the flat at about 7.20am.”
Family members, who drove from East London, were too distraught to speak to the media. Irshaad Kader, a neighbour and family friend, described the children as lively.
“They were brilliant and cheerful children who loved school. They loved their father dearly and their father loved them very much. They meant the world to each other,” said Kader.
Kader, who stays across the street, said he was woken by Abrahams’s screams.
“I never heard such a scream from a man, he cried a lot. He screamed loudly, hopelessly as if the whole world has been stolen from him,” said Kader. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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