Durban – Two more people succumbed to their injuries following a fire in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend.
On Monday, the provincial government said two more Mthembu family members died after an initial five had been reported to have died.
Four children, Zanokuhle, two weeks old, Onge, 2 years old, Noluthando, 9 years old, Anathi, 9 years old and their mother Bongekile Mthembu, 37, met gruesome deaths when the house they were sleeping in caught fire on Saturday evening.
Initially, four family members were rescued by neighbours who came on the scene and were rushed to the nearby clinic to be treated for inhalation and burn wounds.
They were later transferred to hospital where Onge succumbed to his injuries on Sunday afternoon.
On Monday, two other family members who died in hospital were identified as Thobeka, 31, and Ayabonga, 7.
In a joint statement, the provincial government and Department of Social Development said on Tuesday, Premier Sihle Zikalala and Department of Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza would visit the family who lost seven family members as a result of the fire.
Zikalala and Khoza will visit the KwaNhlalwane area in the Umzumbe Local Municipality to pay their respects to the family.
The Department of Social Development, Umzumbe Local Municipality and various stakeholders have been on the ground trying to help the traumatised family and neighbours.
The statement said a team of social workers was immediately assigned to provide psycho-social support, trauma debriefing and trauma containment to the bereaved family and neighbours followed their ordeal.
On Sunday, the Department of Social Development said it was unclear what caused the fire.
The department said neighbours described the incident as traumatic as they felt helpless after battling the blaze in vain. Neighbours and the disaster team worked tirelessly to rescue the surviving family members.
Daily News