Another elderly person dies as house burns
LUDZELUDZE – Yet another elderly person has died after his house caught fire at Ludzeludze.
An 85-year-old man was discovered dead after a rondavel he was sleeping in caught fire while he was inside the house in Soweto area under Ludzeludze Constituency on Tuesday.
It is suspected that the fire was kindled by a burning candle, which lit a bed, some chairs and other household items.
Suffocated
Although the elderly man was not burnt, it is reported that he suffocated from the smoke.
According to a family member who identified herself as LaMavuso, the sister-in-law of the deceased, several items were damaged during the fire.
“It is true, he died inside while sleeping. We suspect that it was a candle that started the fire. A bed was among the household items that were burnt. He was sleeping. “We suppose that he died from suffocation,” LaMavuso said.
The sister-in-law mentioned that they did not hear the deceased raising the alarm. She said it could be because the deceased was old and his voice was no longer audible. She revealed that a neighbour had gone out of his house at night but did not suspect that there was an anomaly. However, on the following morning, he said a relative went to the elderly man’s house and discovered the windows and walls covered in smoke. Upon further investigation, the relative reportedly found the elderly man dead in his bed.
Confirmed
Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the incident.
Meanwhile, on Monday, this publication reported that a man died after a gas cylinder exploded in his house at Mahlanya on Saturday night. He was reportedly sleeping in the house when the explosion occurred, and he died instantly. The cause of the explosion was unknown.
Last Monday, this publication reported of an elderly woman who died in her house at Mangcongco, supposedly after she dropped a lit cigarette.