Sunday Blaze Leaves Eight Mlungisi Families Homeless

Tenants staying at a group of flats in White City’s Q section in Mlungisi were left homeless after a fire engulfed the eight flats in the early hours of Sunday.

Angry residents say the fire started after a child left a flame stove unattended.

“A pillow caught fire and when other tenants tried to help extinguish the fire it was already too late,” said one resident.

He said they tried everything but the fire was too strong for them and they had no water.

Another resident said after calling the firefighters, tenants went to the fire station to try and put pressure on them.

“A bakkie skid unit came but it ran out of water two times. Finally after a long night of fighting the fire, a truck arrived and finally extinguished the fire but it was too late,” she said.

She said if the firefighters had responded early, some of the furniture and belongings would have been saved.

“If there was water on our taps, we would try and extinguish the fire,” she said.

Resident Nandipha Nxoyi said had the tenants not gone to fetch the firefighters, the fire would have been worse.

“The municipality has failed these people. All tenants are left with nothing as all their belongings burnt to ashes,” she said.

This is a developing story, Komani News will do an update as soon as it receives comments from both Chris Hani District Municipality and Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality.