Five people in Mdantsane died from what is believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator running in their home.
The generator had been left running in the bathroom with the windows closed.
Eastern Cape police said the toxic fumes from the petrol generator spread through Nondlaliso Phephani’s new two-bedroom RDP house in Ilinge township in Mdantsane’s NU3.
It is unclear when the five succumbed to the fumes as their bodies were only found by Phephani’s nephew Xolile Somtsora at 7am yesterday.
Relatives believe the generator had been placed in the house to prevent it from being stolen.
Phephani, her son Xolani Komu, 46, his girlfriend Maider, the family’s helper Nomikiza Ngweventsha, 52, and family friend Zoleka Duba, 60, all died in the tragedy.
Their bodies were taken away shortly after 10am yesterday by two Mdantsane state mortuary vans amid cries from distraught family members and neighbours.
Describing how he found them, Somtsora said he had gone to the house to fetch Komu to complete a tiling job.
“Xolani was visiting from Cape Town with his girlfriend, and wanted to spend Christmas with his mother. So I gave him a piece job of putting tiles in my house in Unit P.
“I came to fetch him in the morning so that he could finish the job,” said Somtsora.
He said he knocked on the door and when no one responded he walked to the back of the house to look through a window.
“I saw a lady lying face down on the floor in one of the bedrooms. I then suspected something was wrong. I walked back to the front to discover that the door was not locked. I entered and was struck by a strong smell.”
He noticed Komu seated on a couch, while his girlfriend Maider was on the floor.
Phephani and Duba were also on the couch, although the elderly woman had slumped forward with her head coming to rest on her knees. Ngweventsha was on the floor in the bedroom.
“I first tried to wake up Xolani but he did not respond. The radio was on. I switched it off and then heard the generator running in the toilet. I went and switched it off,” Somtsora said.
He shook Komu, felt for a pulse, and checked whether he was breathing, but after getting no response realised something terrible had happened.
“I immediately went outside to call the neighbours. We agreed these people were not alive, so reported the matter to police.”
Police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said: “It is believed the deceased were suffocated by a generator they were using as a source of electricity since the area is yet to be electrified.”
Mbi said a post-mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of the deaths.
“Police warn residents to refrain from using generators indoors.”
Phephani’s youngest son, Samkelo Phephani said his mother had been excited to move into her new house when it was finally handed over to her by the government in September.
“She spent all her life living in a shack until recently and she was very happy,” Samkelo said.
When the petrol generator was brought out, community members were heard to mutter “here is that devil” and “there is that Satan”.
Just before noon relatives of the deceased gathered inside the house for a prayer session.
The Eastern Cape department of health yesterday urged residents to switch off all dangerous appliances before going to sleep.
According to online information, carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after breathing in too much of the gas.
Symptoms of mild poisoning include lightheadedness, confusion, headache, feeling as if the world is spinning, and flu-like symptoms.
Large exposures can lead to toxicity in the central nervous system and heart, and death. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Toxic gas kills 5 in new home
The generator had been left running in the bathroom with the windows closed.
Eastern Cape police said the toxic fumes from the petrol generator spread through Nondlaliso Phephani’s new two-bedroom RDP house in Ilinge township in Mdantsane’s NU3.
It is unclear when the five succumbed to the fumes as their bodies were only found by Phephani’s nephew Xolile Somtsora at 7am yesterday.
Relatives believe the generator had been placed in the house to prevent it from being stolen.
Phephani, her son Xolani Komu, 46, his girlfriend Maider, the family’s helper Nomikiza Ngweventsha, 52, and family friend Zoleka Duba, 60, all died in the tragedy.
Their bodies were taken away shortly after 10am yesterday by two Mdantsane state mortuary vans amid cries from distraught family members and neighbours.
Describing how he found them, Somtsora said he had gone to the house to fetch Komu to complete a tiling job.
“Xolani was visiting from Cape Town with his girlfriend, and wanted to spend Christmas with his mother. So I gave him a piece job of putting tiles in my house in Unit P.
“I came to fetch him in the morning so that he could finish the job,” said Somtsora.
He said he knocked on the door and when no one responded he walked to the back of the house to look through a window.
“I saw a lady lying face down on the floor in one of the bedrooms. I then suspected something was wrong. I walked back to the front to discover that the door was not locked. I entered and was struck by a strong smell.”
He noticed Komu seated on a couch, while his girlfriend Maider was on the floor.
Phephani and Duba were also on the couch, although the elderly woman had slumped forward with her head coming to rest on her knees. Ngweventsha was on the floor in the bedroom.
“I first tried to wake up Xolani but he did not respond. The radio was on. I switched it off and then heard the generator running in the toilet. I went and switched it off,” Somtsora said.
He shook Komu, felt for a pulse, and checked whether he was breathing, but after getting no response realised something terrible had happened.
“I immediately went outside to call the neighbours. We agreed these people were not alive, so reported the matter to police.”
Police spokesman Captain Mluleki Mbi said: “It is believed the deceased were suffocated by a generator they were using as a source of electricity since the area is yet to be electrified.”
Mbi said a post-mortem would be conducted to determine the cause of the deaths.
“Police warn residents to refrain from using generators indoors.”
Phephani’s youngest son, Samkelo Phephani said his mother had been excited to move into her new house when it was finally handed over to her by the government in September.
“She spent all her life living in a shack until recently and she was very happy,” Samkelo said.
When the petrol generator was brought out, community members were heard to mutter “here is that devil” and “there is that Satan”.
Just before noon relatives of the deceased gathered inside the house for a prayer session.
The Eastern Cape department of health yesterday urged residents to switch off all dangerous appliances before going to sleep.
According to online information, carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after breathing in too much of the gas.
Symptoms of mild poisoning include lightheadedness, confusion, headache, feeling as if the world is spinning, and flu-like symptoms.
Large exposures can lead to toxicity in the central nervous system and heart, and death. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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