An elderly man is fighting for his life in intensive care while his grandson, 4, is being treated for smoke inhalation after their three-bedroom Gonubie home went up in flames yesterday.
BCM’s disaster management office put the damage at about R470000, said metro spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya.
Thembekile Tolbat, 58, and Junior Sphamandla Yawa were admitted at St Dominic’s Hospital and Frere Hospital respectively. Tolbat’s distraught wife, Yawa’s grandmother, Lindeka Tolbat, 54, said she left the two at their Riegerton Park home some time after 2pm to get a few things at the mall and returned to find her smouldering home being doused by firefighters.
“My husband was napping in the room and my grandson was playing in the lounge. When I came back after an hour, the fire had already been put out.”
Speaking from St Dominic’s corridors, Lindeka told the Dispatch last night her husband was “badly burnt”.
“They refused to let me see him. I am nervous.
“The little boy is doing fine at Frere. He makes eye contact,” she said.
Ngwenya said the fire department received the call at 3.23pm and arrived to find the house ablaze and smoke on the roof at 3.43pm.
“The blaze was under control by 3.53pm.
Ngwenya said: “Because it is the winter season and people are starting fires to get warm, we urge that residents practise extra caution.”
Ngwenya said the cause of the fire was unknown as yet.
Grandpa fights for life after home burns
Image: Mark Andrews
An elderly man is fighting for his life in intensive care while his grandson, 4, is being treated for smoke inhalation after their three-bedroom Gonubie home went up in flames yesterday.
BCM’s disaster management office put the damage at about R470000, said metro spokesman Samkelo Ngwenya.
Thembekile Tolbat, 58, and Junior Sphamandla Yawa were admitted at St Dominic’s Hospital and Frere Hospital respectively. Tolbat’s distraught wife, Yawa’s grandmother, Lindeka Tolbat, 54, said she left the two at their Riegerton Park home some time after 2pm to get a few things at the mall and returned to find her smouldering home being doused by firefighters.
“My husband was napping in the room and my grandson was playing in the lounge. When I came back after an hour, the fire had already been put out.”
Speaking from St Dominic’s corridors, Lindeka told the Dispatch last night her husband was “badly burnt”.
“They refused to let me see him. I am nervous.
“The little boy is doing fine at Frere. He makes eye contact,” she said.
Ngwenya said the fire department received the call at 3.23pm and arrived to find the house ablaze and smoke on the roof at 3.43pm.
“The blaze was under control by 3.53pm.
Ngwenya said: “Because it is the winter season and people are starting fires to get warm, we urge that residents practise extra caution.”
Ngwenya said the cause of the fire was unknown as yet.
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