A devastating house fire has claimed the lives of four people in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain.
Remon-Lee Thompson, 24, Reagan Sauls, 23, Sabirah Mohammed, 13, and Casey Thompson, 12, died following the blaze in Mont Blanc Street that happened in the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to mom Lynette Thompson, 42, she doesn’t know how the fire started, but she heard that her brother had left a candle burning in his room.
“The candle either burnt finished or fell over while everyone was asleep in the house, that’s all that I know,” she explains.
The heartbroken mother says that she was in her Wendy house when she saw flames coming from the back window.
“I live in the back in the Wendy when I saw rooi vuur coming from the back window, everything happened so fast, we lost alles in a matter of seconds,” she explains.
Remon-Lee and Sabirah were declared dead on the scene from heavy smoke inhalation, while Reagan and Casey died in the hospital hours later.
The City’s fire and rescue services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse says first responders were alerted at 11.25pm.
“Upon arrival, firefighters were confronted with two dwellings well alight and several patients suffering from smoke inhalation.
“Crews performed CPR on a woman and a 13-year-old girl, but unfortunately both passed on.
“A man and another female minor were rushed to hospital in critical condition.
“The fire was extinguished just after 1am.
“One dwelling was completely gutted and the other sustained partial damage.
“The scene was handed over to the SAPS,” Carelse confirms.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk confirms that Mitchells Plain SAPS are investigating an inquest case.
“A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death. It is currently unknown how the fire started,” Van Wyk adds.
Lynette lost both her sister Remon-Lee and her daughter Casey in the fire.
“I feel helpless,” the hartseer mom shares.
“I haven’t come to terms that my child is gone, I see her friends playing outside, then I just break down.”
She says they now have to rebuild their lives as everything was destroyed in the fire and she, her mother and her brother have been left homeless.
“We want help because we have nothing left. I have no idea what we will do.
“My brother is sleeping in various places while my mother and I are sleeping by someone in the road,” Lynette adds.
If you are able to assist please drop donations at 4 Mont Blanc Street, Tafelsig.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za