Community efforts to save the lives of five people who died when a fire broke out at France informal settlement were in vain as they all perished in the inferno. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The five, three adults and two children, were trapped inside a burning shack on Sunday 15 May as the fire razed their shack. Their identity has not revealed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nokwayintombi Gqoboka, a neighbour, was the first person on the scene. She told City Vision<\/span> although the shack had no burglar gates they could not kick down the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen I went outside and realised the shack was burning. I screamed kuyatsha! As residents came, we tried to put down the fire and did not even think there were people inside,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was only when fire fighters arrived, and I saw one personnel calling men aside, and knew something was wrong. We are still dismayed by this terrible ordeal,\u201d said Gqoboka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Phozisa Gqomfa, a relative of the deceased, said they were drinking together on Saturday evening. She said they drank until the middle of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI still cannot believe what has happened. I came to visit on Saturday, and we were all having a good time until I left late at night. I was shocked when I was woken up, and told about this blaze,\u201d said Gqomfa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Capt Frederick Van Wyk, Western Cape police spokesperson, said Khayelitsha police are investigating. He said the cause of the fire remains a mystery and an inquest docket has been opened. \u201cAfter the fire was extinguished the bodies of five people were found (five fatalities) one female age 53, female 17, male 30 and two minors girls aged five and four. Anyone with any information about this incident is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111,\u201d said Van Wyk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jermain Carelse, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town\u2019 Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed that three adults and two children died in the blaze. He said the department was alerted to the fire at 04:30 on Sunday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen the fire crew from Lansdowne Road fire station arrived on the scene, they were confronted with a fully engulfed structure. As firefighting operations ensued the bodies of three adults \u2013 a man, woman and one whose gender is unknown \u2013 as well as those of a boy and girl, were discovered,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carelse said they had succumbed to fatal burn wounds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the fire was extinguished just after 05.20 and the scene was handed over to the South African Police Service just after 06:00<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Community efforts to save the lives of five people who died when a fire broke out at France informal settlement were in vain as they all perished in the 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