Durban - The sister of two of the four youngsters who died in a house fire described how she heard their screams but was powerless to help because of the blaze and thick smoke.
Two children, aged 1 and 5, and two teens, aged 15 and 19, burned to death as they slept on Sunday.
The four were members of two families living in the same house on the corner of Mayfair and Silver roads in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg.
Eight people lived in the house.
Two of the survivors suffered minor burns while the other two, who suffered severe burns, are in critical condition in the ICU of a city hospital.
Nokulunga Nene, 19, Siyamthanda Nene, 1, Mhlengi Nkabinde, 15, and Manelisa Nkabinde, 5, burned to death when their house caught fire at about 3am on Sunday.
Nomonde Buthelezi, who suffered burns to most of her body, told the Daily News from Northdale Hospital on Sunday that she was in shock.
Buthelezi was the half-sister of the Nene children. They lived in the three-bedroom home with their relatives.
“We were all sleeping when suddenly I smelled smoke and I woke up to see the whole room engulfed in flames. By that time my uncle was also awake and he was shouting at me to help him get the children out of the house.
“I heard Siyamthanda and Manelisa screaming, but the smoke was so thick and the fire was raging, I could not save them,” said Buthelezi, who then broke down sobbing.
Buthelezi is being treated for her injuries and for shock.
The traumatised woman said that they were unsure how the fire had started, because they did not use any candles or paraffin lamps in the house.
“I don’t know how this could have happened. I can still hear their screams. They were all like my children,” she cried.
Paramedics who arrived at the scene early on Sunday described it as “horrific”.
“It is always tragic when one loses family members in this way, but when you are faced with the burnt and lifeless bodies of little children, it makes it that much more difficult to handle,” said one ER24 paramedic.
Police spokesman, Colonel Jay Naicker, confirmed that an inquest docket was being compiled and the cause of the fire was still unknown.
Daily News