Family of four’s tragic end during storm
THE FIRE, which killed four people including twin girls on the Simonsvale Farm outside Kraaifontein on the night of the big storm, was apparently started when the electric cables got wet.
The people who died in the fire were Samuel van Heerden, 49, his wife Poppie, 49, Mieka and Kiema Goliath, 4. They were Samuel’s daughters.
Their mother Karien Goliath stayed on a neighbouring farm. The children were staying with their dad.
“People discovered what had happened when a woman who was living next to the family saw the roof of the house was blown off. This woman came to call me at my house. When I got there, all the windows and doors of the house were off and there was rubble every where,” said Goliath.
“I did not see my children, but the police told me their bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
“It looked like they tried to escape from the flames, in the manner their bodies were found in the house.
“Some were found at the front door and the others at the windows. I’m gonna miss my babies very much. My son Lee, who is staying with me, is also still shocked over what happened.”
Lee, 9, also said that he was going to miss his sisters. “When we got to their house on Wednesday morning, my mom just started crying uncontrollably. I am not going to see them again. I dreamt about them last night (Wednesday).”
Raymond Geswindt, whose aunt was Poppie, said she was also burnt beyond recognition.
“My mom died when I was 1 year old and she raised me.”
Another 69-year-old man from Seawinds was also killed on Tuesday when the bricks of an incomplete building next to his wendy house fell on his roof.
The roof caved in and landed on his head. Joseph Connins died on the scene. His nephew, who was with him at the time of the incident, was also injured when a part of the roof fell on his face.
In Lavender Hill, a mother and her 4-year-old child was also injured when the entire roof of their house blew off and fell on them. Gracia Mostert and her son, Jodine, escaped with minor injuries.