A 71-year-old grandmother and her three grandchildren died in a house fire on Sikelela Street, Bluegum View, Ekurhuleni, in the early hours of yesterday (June 24).

According to African Reporter, Ntsikwana Radebe, Ntombizodwa Radebe (10) and three-year-old twins Jabu and Jabulile Radebe died in their sleep.

Early-morning discovery

Neighbour Clement Khumalo said his wife was leaving for work at around 05:30 when she noticed smoke coming from the house.

“She pleaded with me to go and check on the family. I went there, knocked and called for help. I managed to open the door, but I could not see anything because of the amount of smoke inside the house,” he said.

Khumalo added that the fire appeared to be in its early stages and had not yet spread extensively.

He attempted to enter the house but was forced back by the smoke. Community members soon rushed to assist.

Rescue efforts

Four young men entered the burning house in an attempt to locate the occupants.

“They managed to bring out the elderly woman and her 10-year-old grandchild. By then, the fire had gained strength in the bedroom. We tried to extinguish it with water, but it became too much.

“We could not find the three-year-old twins because it kept getting hotter. When they were eventually found, it was too late,” he explained.

According to Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson William Ntladi, firefighters from the Duduza Fire Station responded to the fire.

“On arrival, members of the community were found to have initiated firefighting operations using the bucket brigade system. Flames were halted from causing extensive damage to the property. Four occupants were found lying outside the burnt structure, covered with blankets,” he said.

Ntladi added that the victims had no visible burn injuries and were declared dead by paramedics.

Preliminary investigations indicate that smoke inhalation may have been the cause of death.

“The two-roomed RDP house remains intact. Only the mattress and part of the headboard were damaged by fire,” he said.

Community response and grief

The mood in the neighbourhood was sombre as residents gathered to comfort the bereaved family.

The smell of smoke still lingered around the burnt house as neighbours offered words of encouragement.

Family member Madikotsi Mokoena said she was informed of the tragedy at around 07:00 by another family member.

“This has traumatised the family. There are other grandchildren who survived because they had gone to visit their parents. If not, we could have lost more family members,” she said.

Mokoena added that the family is appealing for assistance from the community and stakeholders as they prepare to bury four relatives.

“The atmosphere at home is intense. We are pleading for help. We need support to conduct the funerals,” she said.

She described Ntsikwana as a bubbly, outgoing and humorous person who lived off her social grant while caring for her grandchildren.

“I checked on her and the children almost every day. The family survived on grant money, which makes the situation even more heartbreaking,” she said.

Khumalo described the ordeal as traumatic and said the community has been left devastated.

“She was a loving woman who raised all her grandchildren since they were infants. We are shattered because we have never experienced something like this before,” he added.

The scene was handed over to members of the SAPS and DEMS fire safety officers, who are investigating the cause of the blaze. The bodies were removed to a pathology facility.

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