Kimberley - A two-year-old girl died after being pulled from a burning shanty in Galeshewe.
Young Ayanda Magano was rescued from the burning shanty in Jabula Street by neighbours and a passer-by in the early hours of Saturday morning but died a few hours later in hospital, after suffering burn wounds and smoke inhalation.
Neo Lekhwi, who was passing the shanty, saw the raging flames and heard a young child crying.
“I broke the window with my foot and cut my leg in the process. At that stage the blaze was so intense we were not able to enter the house. My leg was bleeding profusely and I was in pain,” said Lekhwi.
“Brendan Tshizibane, a neighbour living next to the burning shanty, was woken up by the smoke and he assisted me by pulling the child through the broken window.
“We struggled to find stones to throw on the roof in order to wake up the other people who were sleeping in the shanty.”
Tshizibane added that the toddler sustained burn wounds on her arm and body.
“I held her on her stomach because she was badly burnt but she was still breathing. We managed to flag down a police vehicle and we waited with her until the ambulance arrived.”
Joyce Morris, who shares the shanty, was asleep with her children in the next room when the fire broke out.
“I woke up when neighbours threw rocks on the roof... I took my five-year-old child, who had inhaled the smoke, out first before going back for my one- and two-year-old children. I struggled to wake up my husband but we managed to get out of the shanty without any major injuries.
“I was not able to get to the baby (toddler) in time but thankfully Lekhwi and Tshizibane had taken her out,” said Morris.
She added that Ayanda’s mother, who is said to be in her early 20s, had gone out on Friday evening.
Morris said that neighbours managed to put out the blaze with buckets of water and a garden hosepipe.
“The electricity box also caught alight and we are lucky to be alive. The fire brigade also assisted.”
A relative of Ayanda, Katlego Marithisi, indicated that he had put out the candle in the room where the toddler was sleeping before he went out on Friday evening.
“The child’s mother, who is my cousin, was still at home when I left. I arrived at home after midnight on Friday but by then it was too late.”
Neighbours in the area expressed their sadness at the death of Ayanda.
“Her death was so unnecessary and it breaks our hearts,” they said.
Other community members vowed to take revenge for the death of the toddler.
“The little girl was badly neglected. She was left with a terrible nappy rash when the mother previously left her alone and spent the entire night away from home.”
Police spokesman, Sergeant Majang Skalkie, said the police were still waiting for the results of the post-mortem report.
“The police received a complaint about a burning shack in Jabula Street, Galeshewe, on October 7 at about 11pm. On arrival at the scene, they found the shack burning. At this stage the cause of fire is unknown. The two-year-old girl was taken to hospital for medical treatment and she passed away. The investigation continues.” said Skalkie.
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