Gogo, children escape house fire in Vosloorus
Gogo explained that it was several hours later that she was woken up by shouts and yelling in the yard, alerting her to the house being on fire.
Seventy-nine-year-old pensioner, Gogo Salma Madela of Silumaview in Vosloorus, believes she and her two young grandchildren, aged six and eight, were lucky to escape with their lives when the family’s two-bedroom home was almost gutted by a fire.
This follows an apparent electrical fault as a result of load reduction on August 5.
The traumatised pensioner thanked her neighbours, who despite the darkness that had engulfed the neighbourhood during her family’s ordeal, arrived at her burning home in large numbers willing to help.
“They carried an assortment of tools to rip open the asbestos roofing and doors, plus all types of buckets and containers filled with water, to fight the fire to save my life and those of the children.”
She blamed herself for what happened. “The last thing I can remember is lying in bed watching television with the children in my bedroom when the whole house was suddenly plunged into darkness. We realised we were experiencing load-shedding,” recalled Madela.
With no television to watch, Madela and the children started chatting and sharing jokes in the dark until they all gradually dozed off and within minutes they were all fast asleep.
Gogo explained that it was several hours later that she was woken up by shouts and yelling in the yard, alerting her to the house being on fire.
“By the time I woke up the whole house was filled with thick smoke that had filled the bedroom. I could not breathe and the children were also coughing and choking from inhaling the smoke,” explained Madela.
They were soon drenched in water as thrown through the broken windows and the broken roof.
Local community activist Sipho Buthelezi, who was among the first neighbours to rush to Madele’s house that night, described what happened to the pensioner as tragic.
“As a community, we are happy to have responded just in time to save her from what could have resulted in an even more serious outcome,” explained Buthelezi.
He said the next step was to find ways and means to replace some of the valuables the family lost during the fire.
Meanwhile, local street committee member Pascaline Madoda, as well as the ward councillor Thandi Nkosi, are appealing to the residents of Vosloorus to lend a hand in a bid to assist Madela to get back on her feet.
“We appeal to members of the community as well as businesses around Vosloorus to find it in their hearts to contribute towards this worthy course,” said Madoda.
Donors should contact the following persons:
Pascaline Madoda on 084 709 9608, Thandi Nkosi on 062 177 3736, or Sipho Buthelezi on 076 411 0604.
