Durban - A 53-year-old woman was burnt to death in a fire at her home on Charnwood Drive in Riyadh in the early hours of Monday morning.
According to Prem Balram from Reaction Unit SA at approximately 00:51 their Operations Center received a call from a resident in the area reporting a fire at a neighbouring property.
"Upon arrival a 34-year-old man explained that he was asleep in the basement of the house when he heard his mother screaming for help.
"Upon his investigation he noticed part of their home engulfed in flames. His mother was trapped in her bedroom and attempts to free her failed due to the heat and extensive smoke.
"The Ethekwini Fire & Rescue Services arrived on scene a short while later and extinguished the blaze. The woman's body was discovered in her bedroom covered in a pile of debris. She had suffered extensive burns to her body," said Balram.
He said a parrafin lamp which was used by the deceased due to them not having electricity is suspected to be the cause of the fire however this is yet to be confirmed.
Balra said the son sustained lacerations to both his arms while attempting to free his mother from the inferno.
SAPS were on scene.
A year ago a 4-year-old girl burnt to death after her Verulam home caught alight.
Two other children aged 7 and 11 were injured and taken to hospital.
Police said at the time that an inquest had been opened.