The Yellowwood Park, Durban, community is mourning the loss of Margaret Hadebe whose charred remains were found in her home on Friday.

Shocked and seeking solace, neighbours and community leaders are trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire is suspected to have originated in the lounge, swiftly engulfing the entire house, and resulting in the collapse of the ceiling.

Distraught neighbours gathered outside Hadebe’s home.

Resident Jay Moodley says he saw smoke coming from the house, leading to a futile attempt to quell the flames with a hosepipe amid dwindling water pressure.

“The kitchen door stood ajar, yet our efforts to penetrate the inferno were thwarted by its ferocity and the thick flames [sic] of smoke. As the roof succumbed to the blaze, we were compelled to run away from the house,” Moodley says.

Ward councillor Gavin Hegter expressed his sorrow at the tragic turn of events, acknowledging the community’s valiant efforts despite challenges posed by ageing infrastructure.

“It’s a very sad situation. I have engaged with some of the neighbours, and it emerged that they tried their best to extinguish the fire. Residents raised concerns that the water pressure was extremely low. Without politicising this, however, the reality is the municipality has turned down the pressure on the water in this area because of the old pipes, as we are having continuously burst pipes from the pressure. I am not saying that would have made much of a difference.

“They used the hosepipe to spray water at the front door to see where she was, but unfortunately, there was not enough pressure to have any effect.

“Many of these houses are fairly old. When fire breaks out, it goes quickly, however, the authorities will comment further on that and give us the exact cause of the fire,” says Hegter.

Echoing Moodley’s sentiments, resident Von Bargen recalled his interactions with the deceased, underscoring her compassionate nature.

He says that despite their concerted efforts, the blaze proved insurmountable, leaving the community to seek solace in a brief prayer service at Hadebe’s house.

Some of the neighbours cried uncontrollably when they saw the deceased’s body lying on rubble and debris in the house.

Montclair police were on the scene, and the body was taken to a nearby government mortuary.

Attempts to get a comment from the Montclair SAPS were not successful at the time of publishing.