An elderly man dies in fire incident after being released from the hospital
ALEXANDRA – An elderly man died in a fire after his mentally challenged son apparently started the fire.
A 66-year-old sickly man died after his house was apparently set alight by his mentally challenged son on 14 July.
The man from 18th Avenue had recently been released from hospital before the fatal fire.
According to Alexandra police spokesperson Captain Stephen Malatjie, the sick man was left alone in the locked house when the son started the fire. He was apparently seen by his younger brother doing so.
“On 14 July at about 1pm, an Alex police patrol responded to a call from control room regarding a fire which had engulfed a house on 18th Avenue,” said Malatjie.
“Upon arrival they found neighbours of the 66-year-old busy trying to break into the house with a chisel and a hammer, trying to break window burglar bars.”
When neighbours and police officers finally broke into the house, the man had already succumbed to smoke inhalation and was declared dead on the scene.
