A mom, dad and their nine-year-old daughter died in a ferocious fire at their Amalinda home on Saturday night.
Buffalo City Metro firefighters were called to tackle the blaze in the small two-roomed house in Amalinda Forest at 11pm.
Inside the burning house were Mzwandile Mase, 39, his partner Nokwanda Ngcwaba, and their nine-year-old daughter Zandile.
By the time the fire crew got to the scene, residents had already extinguished the fire using buckets of water.
Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said an inquest docket had been opened for investigation.
The house was one of many in the area whose electricity has been cut off due to illegal electricity connections to the neighbouring informal settlements.
The family had been using a flame stove and candles as a source of light since the blackout a year ago.
According to residents, the fire started shortly before 11pm when Mase was using a flame stove to cook tripe and potatoes in the kitchen.
His partner and daughter were sleeping in the other room.
Neighbours believe Mase fell asleep in the process.
Police and fire service crews investigating what may have caused the blaze found his body lying on top of the couch in the charred wreckage of the house.
Ngcwaba and her daughter are believed to have died due to smoke inhalation as their bodies were not badly burnt.
Yesterday shocked neighbours were talking about the experience.
Cebisa Kebeni said she was the one who called the fire department. She said she spotted the fire as she was heading to bed.
She said there were no screams at all, just huge flames eating away at her neighbour’s house. She screamed and alerted other neighbours.
“By the time they got here, we had already put out the fire and kicked down the door to see if there was anyone alive inside. The fire crew assisted in locating the body of the little girl’s mother,” Kebeni said.
“Zandile was taken out the house still alive. She died, waiting for an ambulance, just after midnight.”
The family had lived in the area for years.
The incident follows a similar one two weeks ago in which five people died inside their Orange Grove shack while sleeping.
Nonzukiso Gijana, her children Sisipho and Ayabonga, and her sister’s children Sinothando and Siphosihle died in the fire. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Mom, dad and child die in horror house inferno
Buffalo City Metro firefighters were called to tackle the blaze in the small two-roomed house in Amalinda Forest at 11pm.
Inside the burning house were Mzwandile Mase, 39, his partner Nokwanda Ngcwaba, and their nine-year-old daughter Zandile.
By the time the fire crew got to the scene, residents had already extinguished the fire using buckets of water.
Cambridge police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said an inquest docket had been opened for investigation.
The house was one of many in the area whose electricity has been cut off due to illegal electricity connections to the neighbouring informal settlements.
The family had been using a flame stove and candles as a source of light since the blackout a year ago.
According to residents, the fire started shortly before 11pm when Mase was using a flame stove to cook tripe and potatoes in the kitchen.
His partner and daughter were sleeping in the other room.
Neighbours believe Mase fell asleep in the process.
Police and fire service crews investigating what may have caused the blaze found his body lying on top of the couch in the charred wreckage of the house.
Ngcwaba and her daughter are believed to have died due to smoke inhalation as their bodies were not badly burnt.
Yesterday shocked neighbours were talking about the experience.
Cebisa Kebeni said she was the one who called the fire department. She said she spotted the fire as she was heading to bed.
She said there were no screams at all, just huge flames eating away at her neighbour’s house. She screamed and alerted other neighbours.
“By the time they got here, we had already put out the fire and kicked down the door to see if there was anyone alive inside. The fire crew assisted in locating the body of the little girl’s mother,” Kebeni said.
“Zandile was taken out the house still alive. She died, waiting for an ambulance, just after midnight.”
The family had lived in the area for years.
The incident follows a similar one two weeks ago in which five people died inside their Orange Grove shack while sleeping.
Nonzukiso Gijana, her children Sisipho and Ayabonga, and her sister’s children Sinothando and Siphosihle died in the fire. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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