24-year-old dies in a shack fire in eMbalenhle
“I woke up his mother, Elizabeth Mthombeni, while I was trying to open the door and I shouted for help.”
Lucky Mthombeni (24) died in a shack fire in Ext 14, eMbalenhle, on Monday morning, June 13.
Ncane Mthombeni, a family member, awoke at about 02:00 from the noise outside.
She said it sounded as if people were fighting.
Ncane went outside to investigate and saw flames coming from the windows of Lucky’s room.
“I woke up his mother, Elizabeth Mthombeni, while I was trying to open the door and I shouted for help.
“I thought Lucky might hear my screams and respond, but he didn’t,” said Ncane, about her nephew.
“I went to fetch a bucket of water to extinguish the fire.
“When I returned, I looked through the shack door and saw Lucky’s feet in the flames.”
Ncane and Lucky’s mother screamed for help and neighbours awoke and rushed to help the women.
“We used water pipes and buckets to try to extinguish the fire but we failed,” said Ncane.
She said the fire spread so fast that her brother’s car also caught fire. Neighbours tried to save the vehicle, but it was too late.
Govan Mbeki Municipality’s acting head of communications, Lucky Mhlongo, said the fire department dispatched firefighters when they received a call about the burning shack.
Mhlongo said although the firefighters worked hard to extinguish the fire, a life was lost.
Mhlongo appealed to the community to switch off any electrical appliances before going to sleep or to make sure the appliance is safe to keep on while you are asleep.
Const Busi Mthethwa, eMbalenhle Police spokesperson, said the police found a burnt body in the shack.
The man was certified dead and police opened an inquest docket.
Each year in eMbalenhle during winter, several people die and property is destroyed in shack fires that are either caused by unstable electricity supply from the municipality or candles.
Last year alone, more than 16 shacks went up in flames at eMbalenhle since the beginning of winter.
