Bodies of Lakehaven fire victims finally returned to families

Eight boys, aged 8 to 21, died in the fire at Lakehaven Child and Youth Care Centre in Durban in July. Picture: Independent Media

Eight boys, aged 8 to 21, died in the fire at Lakehaven Child and Youth Care Centre in Durban in July. Picture: Independent Media

Published Dec 19, 2016

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Durban - The bodies of six of the eight children who died in a fire at the Lakehaven Child and Youth Care Centre earlier this year have finally been returned to their families.

Irene Okoye, manager at Child Welfare Durban and District, said the bodies of the other two children would be buried by the home, as they were orphans.

Okoye said they were pleased that things were coming to an end, but would only be relieved once the burials were done. She said they would then wait for a report explaining the cause of the fire.

For the family of Fikisani Chala, the return of the body of the eight-year-old would help bring them closure.

Chala’s older brother, Vumani, said he was “relieved” that he was able to collect his brother’s body and would finally be able to lay him to rest. He said this would also help the family to start the grieving process.

The process, which has lasted about five months, has been emotionally draining for him.

“There were times when I thought that we would never get to take him home,” Vumani said.

He said he had already made peace with himself, and has told himself that his younger brother’s time had come.

Vumani, 28, said he received a call last week from the home updating them about progress.

“They had been constantly updating us on what was happening,” Vumani said.

After receiving the call, he went to the Phoenix mortuary where Fikisani’s body was being stored.

He said he saw some families of the other victims there.

“They seemed to have accepted the death of their loved ones,” he said.

It was also there where he received an offer from Avbob about helping them with the burial process for free.

He said Fikisani’s body was currently being kept in Umbilo where it will stay until he is transported back home to Harding.

Vumani said the family had provisionally set a date of December 27 for the funeral.

The Daily News had earlier reported that Fikisani was one of eight people who had died in a fire at Lakehaven Child and Youth Care Centre in an incident that sent shockwaves through Durban.

A long wait followed for the families as investigators looked into the cause of the fire, and during which a process of identification of the bodies was conducted.

Daily News

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