An elderly male pensioner died in a burning Shack in Tshongweni section, Katlehong this morning, Monday the 28th of September 2020.
City of Ekurhuleni Fire and Rescue team from local Hlahatsi fire station received the call at 08H30 in the morning and swiftly responded to the scene for intervention. On arrival, members of the public were found frantically battling the blaze using water buckets brigade system before they “firefighters” could take over.
After the fire was extinguished, search and recovery of the body was conducted. The charred body of an old man was found under the rubble. South African Police Services (SAPS) officers and all relevant stakeholders were called to the scene. Scene was handed over to SAPS officers who took over and proceeded with the investigations and removal of the mortal remains to an appropriate Pathological facility in Germiston.
Information on scene states that, the old man was alone in one of the backyard shacks at the time of the fire. Members of the public were alerted by a cloud of carbon smoke and frantically tried to break in to save the old man from the harrow of fire. Unfortunately, that could only be achieved through the aid of firefighters. The cause of the fire is undetermined and still under investigations.
