Woman dies in fire at old-age home

A RESIDENT of Huis Lizelle in Wellington was killed in a fire early yesterday.

“A woman in her late 60s tragically passed away and several others received treatment for shock when a section of an old age home caught alight,” said Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Robert Daniels.

All other residents at the facility were unharmed, he said.

Drakenstein fire department’s assistant chief, Dereck Peceur, said the cause of the fire was being investigated.

He said a room had been destroyed, and a section of the residence had been damaged by smoke.

“The fire happened in the passage. Part of the home has been declared uninhabitable, and some residents have been evacuated.

“The home houses about 30 people, and 15 people have been displaced. Some are staying with friends and relatives, while others are sharing rooms in the other section,” he said.

Peceur said Huis Lizelle was anold building, but its wooden floors were still intact.

Department of Social Development spokesperson Esther Lewis said the residence was a private dwelling, and not an old age home.

She said a non-profit organisation, Afrikaanse Christelike Vroue Vereniging, which was funded by the government, was assisting the elderly.

“Residents have been reunited with their families, and religious leaders of nearby churches and organisations also availed themselves for trauma debriefing and support to the victims and families,” said Lewis.