Klipspruit family escapes gas explosion as shack fire spreads to two homes

What began as a normal day turned into a nightmare for a family in Klipspruit after a gas explosion led to a shack fire on July 6.

The incident occurred at a property on Mbambisa Drive, where a shack located at the entrance of the yard caught fire following a gas explosion. The blaze quickly spread to the main house and then to a neighbouring property.

Buyile Temo, the girlfriend of Tshidiso Sehume, who owned the shack, relived the incident and described it as seeing her and her child’s lives flash before her eyes and feeling helpless.

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Temo was cooking with a gas stove because of load-shedding when the fire erupted, spreading through the shack.

She called for help as the fire started catching on her clothes, and had no way out because the flames were in the middle of the shack and spreading in her direction.

Sehume said, “I was in the house with my mother while Buyi was preparing lunch. I was waiting to go help at the church when I suddenly heard her scream. I could smell something burning.

“As I looked toward the shack, it was on fire. The best I could do was pull my child and girlfriend out because the fire had spread everywhere.”

The family told the Urban News they had done nothing to the gas stove or the bottle.

The bottle was not tampered with and was where they usually have it when cooking. They still wonder what caused the explosion.

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Fortunately, there was not much damage to the house, but its front was burnt, cracking the walls and the windows. Temo sustained burns on her eye, side of her head and chest but is recovering.

Sehume appreciated the community coming out in numbers to help douse the fire, the EMS and Cambridge Kwapeng, the Ward 45 councillor.

The family pleads for donations of clothes, furniture or anything that could help them get back on their feet.