Five die in blaze
Discussing the cause of the fatal fire
are City Disaster Management Officer -
Andrew Vumba, Acting Deputy Director - Andy
Spies and Divisional Fire Prevention Officer
- Pieter Jacobs
Dave Savides
FIRE swept through a home in Mzingazi on
Monday night, leaving a mother and her four
children dead.
The modest wood and iron structure was
totally destroyed in minutes.
It is believed the occupants had probably
been overcome by fumes while they slept, as
nearby neighbours heard no shouts or
screams.
The victims were named by a relative as
Ntombi Mthiyane, her one year-old twin sons
Mbuso and Mnqobi Sibiya, and older daughters
Nompumelelo and Ayanda Sibiya.
Their father was at work in Richards Bay
when the fire occurred at about 10pm.
He has since been taken to relatives at
kwaMthethwa.
‘The cause of the fire has still to be
determined, but evidence showed that a
fridge and stove were among electrical
appliances connected to a normal two-core
flex run from an adjacent structure. This
type of wiring is extremely dangerous,’ said
Andy Spies, Acting Deputy Director at
uMhlathuze Fire and Rescue.
‘That flex is not designed to carry such
high loads and excessive heat is generated,
leading to fire.’ Spies said an additional
danger was that wooden structures were often
covered in plastic to keep out the rain.
‘When it catches fire, the plastic gives off
cyanide gas which can be fatal in an
enclosed space.’
