Charred remains all that’s left after Newcastle house fire

The Moodley family is slowly picking up the pieces after a fire destroyed their home in the early hours of June 29.

Sharhea Moodley and her family lost everything they owned after a suspected electrical malfunction caused the fire that destroyed their home and left her younger sister, Keliya, with sever burn wounds.

Sharhea claims that her sister was asleep in her bedroom when the terrible sight of fire spreading into her room and the stench of smoke woke her up.

“Keliya tried to exit through the door into the passage but it was jammed. The second door in her room had no key as it had been left in the kitchen,” Sharhea explained.

Trapped and choking on smoke, Keliya managed to force open a window to get some air.

In the process, she burnt her hands. She then fell onto a burning coffee table and suffered burns on the face, neck, and ear. Her hair also caught fire.

Sleeping in another part of the house, her mother could not hear Keliya’s cries for help.

A friend who had been struggling to contact Keliya rushed over to the house after sensing something was off and found smoke spreading out of beneath the doors.

By hammering on the windows, he was able to alert Keliya’s mother, and the two of them were able to smash through another door and rescue Keliya just as the fire was spreading into the passage.

Three of the house’s rooms were already engulfed in flames when Sharhea arrived, only seven minutes after her mother’s desperate call.

“The house has completely burnt to ashes from one side to the other every single room with furniture curtains personal belonging household items and appliances elecironic devices, everything has been lost.,” she recalled.

Keliya is recovering well, but the road ahead is long, while she continues receiving care at Dr. Reeves Wound Clinic.

“Her facial burns have healed; however, she is experiencing severe pain, dizziness, and blurry vision. She cannot move her right hand and cannot walk properly due to her back being injured. Apart from physical pain, she is emotionally disturbed and is suffering from insomnia,” said Sharhea.

What made matters more difficult is after the fire, the family had a burglary in the outbuilding where donated food, clothes, and blankets had been stolen.

Sharhea expressed her thanks to friends and relatives who have stepped in to assist her family.

They were as follows:

• Jessica Naidoo,
• Chantal Hariparsad,
• Renata Bhoodoo,
• Savy Chetty,
• Cleona Naidoo,
• Reona Hariparsad,
• Elisha Naraidoo,
• Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Gokul,
• Shilana Thakur,
• Shereen Ganessi,
• Shanelle Sewparsad,
• Shaylene Sukram,
• Nikita Govender,
• Lataviya Govender,
• Tashiana and Suvania Singh,
• Suvel and Devika Hariparsad,
• Mr. KK (Rikz) and Mrs. A. S. (Sam) Govender,
• Mr. Kista and Mrs. Rajmoney Govender,
• Ritasha and Rajesh Garahoo and family,
• Avishka Bemram,
• Aiyuri and Yuthika Haripersad and family,
• Lorraine Moodley and family,
• Dr. Greaves,
• Neera Parbhoo.

The family further wished to express their sincerest gratitude to Dr. Bradley Maistry and the staff at Rapha Sub-Acute Centre for their free, kind care and treatment.

The family now needs help with domestic goods, medical care, personal belongings, and electronic devices for education.

Although there are no school-going children in the household, both Sharhea and Keliya are students. Sharhea is studying at Qualitas, while Keliya is enrolled at Cabin Crew Academy. Both lost vital learning tools, including laptops, textbooks, and study manuals, in the fire.

Any help, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated.

To help, contact Sharhea Moodley on 074 434 9788.

The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and request an add on our WhatsApp (082 874 5550).