Atteridgeville school gas explosion: Families await closure

Families of the two victims who died in the gas explosion at a special needs school in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, this week have to wait for up to three months before they can lay their loved ones to rest.

On Wednesday, a container caught fire and the subsequent gas explosion at Zodwa Learners with Special Educational Needs School claimed the lives of two school employees.

Johannes Shonge, the cousin of one victim, Pabala Lefata Mashigwane, said the family wasn’t doing well. “He was only 21 years old.

He had his whole life ahead of him,” he said.

READ: Two killed, four injured in explosion at Tshwane school

Shonge said he went to the scene and watched helplessly as the firefighters extinguished the fire.

“We live close to the school. Some of the community members told me my cousin was inside there. He couldn’t come out,” he said.

Shonge said the family was heartbroken and described Mashigwane as a quiet guy who didn’t talk much.

“He only finished school last year and was working to make money to further his education.

“He wanted to be an engineer,” he said. Shonge said they could not plan a funeral because Mashigwane’s body was burned beyond recognition.

“We have to wait three months because the body was sent to the laboratory.

“There were two bodies, now they could not see which one was male and which one was female. Even the body parts were not there,” he said.

Tshwane emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said firefighters found a collapsed structure of container classrooms on fire when they arrived on the scene.

“They were informed that one person was still trapped in the burning containers.

“A badly burnt and charred body of a male person was discovered during firefighting operations, and a second body, of which the gender could not be determined, was later discovered as operations continued,” he added.

Mabaso said four other people were transported to Kalafong Hospital before emergency services arrived.