The smell of smoke hung thick in the air in Belladonna Street in Kleinvlei yesterday, where five family members tragically lost their lives in a fire in the early hours of the morning.
While community members worked to clear the debris, a devastated Ivana Ruiters, who lost her parents Ivan and Francis Cloete, her brothers Franco, 17, and Ivan, 18, and her niece Maureen Jooste, 11, was being comforted by other residents.
The heartbroken woman says everything happened so fast, leaving little time to save her family.
“I can’t understand it because after load shedding ended past 10 the evening, I still got up and everything was OK,” she says.
“My sister was making her bread for work the next day and my daddy was making him coffee.”
“(I went to sleep) and the next thing I remember is my sister screaming at me to grab the kids.”
She says her aunty, who was with her in the Wendy house at the back, said the main house looked like a dark room where they develop photos.
“By the time I woke up, it was red and dark, I scrambled to help my children and my sister grabbed her child and threw her through the window.
“She turned back to try and help our parents but she couldn’t, my brothers were screaming to not leave them behind, to help them, but it was already too late,” she says sobbing.
Little Maureen’s devastated father Daniel Booysen says his heart is broken, but is also thankful his younger daughter Danielle, seven, was saved.
“I still can’t believe Maureen is gone, she was the apple of my eye,” he says.
Mino Makili and Franklin Adams braved the flames and managed to save Danielle and Noalin, 1.
Neighbour Makili, who is covered in blisters, tells the Daily Voice he heard the screams for help and immediately ran to kick down the door.
“I ran and saw the parents already lying on the floor. I then ran back out and soaked my gown in water and ran through the house to get Danielle and Noalin,” Makili says.
A traumatised Franklin says he cannot get the sound of his friends yelling for help out of his head.
“I helped Makili get through the house because I basically grew up in that house.
“I heard Franco, he was shouting for me to help him through the bathroom burglar bars. I tried, I really did, but it was too hot and I couldn’t, he died holding onto the rails,” the heartsore friend says.
Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk says Kleinvlei SAPS registered an inquest case following the incident.
“When the fire was extinguished, five people, husband and wife, two sons and a grandchild were found burnt beyond recognition. The cause of the fire is unknown,” Van Wyk says.
The family’s house was gutted and they lost everything. If you would like to assist, contact the family on 073 4765 367.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za