4 DIE IN MAGALIES AS PARTY BOAT CATCHES FIRE
Witness tells how panic-struck patrons fled flames
A PRIMARY school teacher has told how an end-of-year celebration turned to horror when the cruise boat she and her colleagues were on caught fire on Hartbeespoort Dam near Pretoria, leading to tragedy.
Four women died in the incident, which happened at about 2pm yesterday at the popular recreational and holiday spot.
A rescue official said one woman who was trapped in the boat’s toilet burnt to death and three others drowned.
“When people saw what was happening they were scared and tried to escape,” said Pulani Xaba, a teacher at Thorisong Primary School in Mpumalanga.
She said last night that she first saw flames in the kitchen at the back of the boat.
“At first people jumped into small boats without [putting on] life jackets, but the rest were given life jackets.
“Some people [who] were not wearing life jackets . . . fell into the water and lost their lives,” said an emotional Xaba.
Xaba was with four of her coworkers and was rescued unharmed but one of her colleagues was admitted to hospital.
“We came for a boat cruise. We came to enjoy ourselves but it did not end right,” she said, in a rush to check up on her friend who had been admitted.
Hartbeespoort Emergency spokesman Jerry Bouwer said people from seven companies had boarded the boat at noon for an end-of-year party.
“One woman was trapped inside the toilet and burnt to death,” Bouwer said.
About 15 smaller private boats came to assist.
“They each had a capacity of six to eight people, but they were overloaded and capsized.
“Two people from one boat drowned when it capsized. A third person died when she jumped off the cruise boat.”
He said two others were taken to hospital.
Bouwer said although the cruise boat could carry 200 passengers, “we are not sure how many passengers were on board”.
He said police and the fire brigade were at the scene, but that the cause of the fire was not yet known.
Eyewitness Andy Grudgo said he was standing on the banks of the dam when he first saw smoke, flames — and then thick black smoke — and heard people screaming on board.
He said speedboats from the nearby luxury Pecanwood Estate harbour rushed to the front end of the boat to rescue passengers as the fire appeared to have started at its rear.
At first about 30 passengers were brought back to the estate, and later a party boat rescued the remaining passengers and took them back to the nearby Kosmos village, where they had embarked.
“They were quite intoxicated but did not really know what happened. It was a corporate party,” Grudgo said.
He said in his 20 years living on the banks of the dam, this was the worst accident he had ever witnessed.
The boat, named Prime Time, is owned by Boaters World Adventures, and can accommodate up to 200 passengers. It offers two- and three-hour cruises that include three-course meals, a spit braai, a bar and music.
The company’s website states that it offers an “unforgettable experience in Hartbeespoort Dam”.
“We are well-known for our legendary boat parties. Our barges are capable of hosting amazing celebrations. Big crowd? No problem!”
Boaters World Adventures owner Nico Wessels said the boat had been carrying 203 passengers, including his staff, when “a pump caught fire at the back of the boat”.
“Nobody drowned on our vessel. The people who drowned climbed off our vessel with life jackets onto a public boat and then too many people climbed on, it capsized and the people got stuck underneath the boat and that is how they drowned,” he said.
“The person who was in the fire was in the toilet. She didn’t burn she inhaled smoke.”
Wessels said the passengers were from different companies and had booked a three-hour cruise on the boat.
“The boat floats. There was no problem when the incident happened, we turned the boat into the wind so it retained the fire and the water tanks that we’ve got on top basically melted and that extinguished the fire and stopped [it] from spreading.
“All our crew was running around with fire extinguishers and making sure everybody is safe. It’s just a pity that the people climbed off the boat onto the other boats in fear that the fire would spread. And it’s unfortunate that the guys overloaded their boats and that’s how the people drowned.”
Wessels said he has had the boat for 20 years and “never had an incident like this before”.
He was yet to hear from the families of those who died as he was busy in meetings with the police and emergency services.
Police spokesman LieutenantColonel Pelonomi Makau said an inquest has been opened to investigate what caused the boat fire.
“There is a possibility that there could be more bodies trapped inside the cruise boat, emergency services are still searching for more bodies [at the scene],” said Makau.
Brits Mediclinic confirmed a 49-year-old woman was being treated for shock.
We came [here] for a boat cruise. We came to enjoy ourselves but [things] did not end right