Hartbeespoort tragedy: Event organisers in spotlight

Pleasure boat Prime Time with about 200 people on board caught fire at Hartbeespoort Dam killing four people.

Pleasure boat Prime Time with about 200 people on board caught fire at Hartbeespoort Dam killing four people.

Published Nov 22, 2016

Share

 

Pretoria - The investigation into the cause of the fire that gutted a boat at Hartbeespoort Dam on Saturday, claiming the lives of four people, will include the boat club and event organisers.

South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) spokesman Tebogo Ramatjie said on Monday the investigations had started and the main event organiser would be questioned.

“As part of the information gathering leading up to the investigation, we have been in contact with the event organiser,” Ramatjie said.

“We are working with the SAPS on this investigation. But there are aspects of the investigation that lie solely within the jurisdiction of the police.”

He said Samsa would attempt to determine if the cause of the deaths could be directly linked to the fire.

The four, whose identities were yet to be revealed, died when the ferry pleasure boat Prime Time, known as the party boat, caught fire with crew and passengers on board.

Three women apparently drowned in the scramble to safety in one of the rescue boats, while another allegedly died from smoke inhalation while stranded in the toilet in what is believed to be one of the worst tragedies at the popular holiday and leisure spot. There were an estimated 200 passengers on board when the tragedy happened.

The passengers were from different companies, but among them were teachers from Thorisong Primary School in Mpumalanga.

The boat is mainly used for corporate lunch cruises and braais, as well as weddings and other events.

At 2.30pm on Saturday, the duty crew at the National Sea Rescue Institute at Hartbeespoort Dam were alerted following reports of the fire on the 25m boat.

Local boat clubs were activated and it appeared that everyone with boats in the vicinity responded to assist. At least 25 to 30 private boats are believed to have launched to assist with the rescue.

[email protected]

Pretoria News

Related Topics: