“My kids! My kids!”
These were the desperate cries heard by helpless onlookers as a family burned to death inside their home on Sunday morning.
The fire on Sunday 14 June took the life of ?, her husband ? and three of their four children and left another 10 families destitute in Witsand.
According to a neighbour Rexon Valapi (49) the couple’s eldest child were sleeping over at a friend’s house.
Valapi says he will forever be haunted by the screams of the children 11, five, three and eight months old.
“I felt helpless and am disappointed that all we could do was watch,” he said.
The neighbours are uncertain how and where the fire started.
“Everything happened so quickly, within 10 minutes all the shacks were burning.”
Some of the other neighbours also explained to Weskus Nuus that it sounded as if the couple were trapped inside and they could hear them trying to get their children to safety.
“They flames were unfortunately too strong for us to do anything. We couldn’t even grab any of our personal belongings,” one of the affected persons said.
“Everyone was sleeping and one person ran to try and find help,” recalls Valapi.
ANC PR Cllr Nolefefe Mbombo, said the fire occurred between 01:00 and 02:00 on Sunday morning.
Mbombo says on Sunday afternoon remains of the deceased were still among the ruins. “Residents had walk over the family’s remains to see if they can salvage anything. And this is causing them more emotional distress,” Mbombo said.
According to Mbombo the remains were left on the scene by forensic pathologists and she had contacted the local police for assistance.
“The cold weather definitely played a part in the cause of the fire, I won’t be surprised if someone maybe left a stove on while trying to creating some heat,” Mbombo said.
The now orphaned 16-year-old was visibly distraught and is now in the care of social workers.
Sub-council 1 chairperson Nora Grose, said she contact the City’s Disaster Management division to assist the residents with relief packages and councillors will be assisting with food, clothes and blankets.
