Residents fear for their safety after steel stairs collapse at flats
Nobody was injured in the incident.
Residents living at the Reiger Park flats say they no longer feel safe after a flight of steel stairs collapsed on the evening of January 9.
According to the city’s Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson, William Ntladi, this happened at about 18:00.
“DEMS rushed to the scene at the Reiger Park Residential G-8 flats, where the terrifying incident had taken place. A flight of sturdy steel stairs unexpectedly collapsed,” he explained.
Resident Valencia Patience said they have been actively reporting the poor condition of the stairs since August.
“We reported it to different departments. Unfortunately, this happened before they could attend to the issue. We’re just thankful that nobody was standing underneath the stairs at the time,” she said.
Boksburg and Germiston fire stations responded to the incident.
“Upon arrival, they found two families on the third floor, with a total of five individuals unable to escape, including two young children. The situation was dire,” said the spokesperson.
A hydraulic platform was deployed to safely lift the families out of the flats.
“The efforts of the firefighters ensured that everyone was rescued unharmed, bringing relief and gratitude to all involved. No one was injured during this incident,” he said.
Ntladi noted that DEMS, along with other relevant stakeholders, such as the housing department, assessed and monitored the situation and will continue to engage further for the betterment of the affected families.
Patience believes the staircase collapsed because there is no gutter, which caused it to rust due to the recent heavy rainfall.
“We understand they will do a good job in repairing the stairs in the coming weeks.”
However, she raised safety concerns following the incident.
“This is not the first time this has happened. It’s not safe. There aren’t even lights here at night,” she said.
“This is where we live and there are children here.”
Residents who are unable to return to their flats due to the incident are now staying with other family members.
The Advertiser is still awaiting comment from the City of Ekurhuleni.
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