Three perish in house fire

THREE people lost their lives when a fire mysteriously swept through the Mkhize family home in Ntabankulu, outside Ulundi last Wednesday.

Reports indicate that nine family members were asleep when the inferno took hold, but it is not clear how it started.

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Zibonele Mkhize (61), Nomalanga Mchunu and Lisakhanya Mthethwa (4) lost their lives, and the entire nine-room house was destroyed in the blaze.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Silindile Mkhize said they are devested about the tragedy. She believes her family was attacked.

“My suspicion is based on what my mother told me. My mother is currently at the hospital and is scheduled to undergo an operation,” said Silindile earlier this week.

“She told me that before the tragedy, she heard footsteps onside and thought it was a domestic animal.

“After that, she received a phone call but the caller hung up as she tried to answer the call. She then fell asleep on the couch in the dining room and was awakened by screams from inside the house.

“She said when she ran to open the front door, the raging inferno would not allow her to get close to the door. She ran to try the back door, but the blaze was too dangerous. She ended up jumping through the window,” she said.
Silindele further claims that her brother managed to kick open the garage roller door.

“He managed to throw the other children through the window, and that is where he found Mchunu’s body lying on top of the children. A four-year-old boy had covered himself with blankets to protect himself from the fire. His head was burnt.

“After rescuing the others, my brother tried to locate my father inside the burning house, but he had suffered smoke inhalation and collapsed. They could not retrieve [my father’s] body, and it burnt to ashes,” said Silindile, adding that they lost everything in the fire and that all six survivors were rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

“All the children, including my brother, are traumatised and can’t sleep,” she said.

On Tuesday, Ulundi Mayor Wilson Ntshangase and his executive members visited the grief-stricken Mkhize family.

“We are running out of words. We received a report from Ward 14 Councillor Dlamini. We have not seen this kind of tragedy, where three family members died in such an incident. I understand it is difficult for you to digest this loss,” he said.

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