RELATIVES and neighbours have recounted how they listened helplessly as six family members screamed for help, trapped inside their burning home.
They were unable to escape the locked house until a relative broke down the door of the Mitchells Plain home on Friday night.
But for Remon-Lee Thompson, 23, and Shabierha Mohammed, 14, it was too late, as they had already died from suspected smoke inhalation. And Casey Thompson, 8, later died in hospital.
Remon-Lee’s six-year-old daughter Amy-Lee Thompson was rescued, while her boyfriend, Reagan van Rooyen, is recovering in hospital.
A grief-stricken relative, Beyonce Thompson, said the blaze started in her uncle’s room and spread through the house and to their neighbour’s home.
“I wasn’t in the house when the fire started, but my grandmother told me that they went to bed during load shedding around 10pm.
“My uncle lit a candle and left it burning. He then locked his room and the burglar gate and left with the keys. The candle must have tipped over and set his room alight.”
Some of the Tafelsig family trapped inside the burning house were rescued after another relative Rocco Thompson managed to break down the gate.
“When my grandmother woke up, the flames had already engulfed my uncle’s room. She woke everyone up, but when they reached the door they found the gate locked.
“They were trapped inside the house until my other uncle broke the lock and got all of them out. The firefighters arrived after my other uncle managed to break the door and got everyone out.
“We noticed Remon-Lee and Shabierha had already died by the time they were rescued. And then we heard Casey had also died.”
“My grandma discharged herself out of hospital. She has burn wounds on her stomach, and she is really traumatised.”
Neighbour Patrick Hope, 53, said he had been about to go to sleep when he heard a crackling sound and people screaming.
“As soon as load shedding started, I told my son and wife that we should go to bed. But then I heard the sound and went outside to investigate and saw smoke coming from my neighbour’s (house). I ran inside and told my family to take everything out.
“The flames seeped through the roof, and that is when my house was burned.
“While we were busy removing our stuff, we heard the screaming continue, but we couldn’t go and help because we had to save our belongings,” he added.
“We managed to save some, but our entertainment area was completely destroyed.
“We lost our clothes and shoes, and also my son’s bed. What hurts us is that we just recently bought the house, a month ago, and we were still thinking of doing some renovations and now this has happened. We are gutted by this incident, and my son has been left shocked, but none of us were injured.”
The City’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, confirmed that two of the victims had died at the scene.
“The City's Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 11.25 pm of a dwelling alight in Mont Blanc Street, Tafelsig.
“Upon arrival, firefighters were confronted with two dwellings well alight and several patients suffering from smoke inhalation. Crews performed CPR on a woman and a 14-year-old girl, but unfortunately both passed on.
“A man and another female, a minor, were rushed to hospital in a critical condition.”
Carelse said the fire was extinguished just after 1am.
“One dwelling was completely gutted and the other sustained partial damage,” he added.
“The scene was handed over to the South African African Police Service.”
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said they were investigating the cause of the fire.
“Mitchells Plain police are investigating an inquest case following a fire on March 3 at about 11pm at premises in Mont Blanc, Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain.”
Van Wyk added that a minor child had died in hospital, while a man remained in hospital with third-degree burns.
A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the causes of death.
Weekend Argus