Tragedy as girl dies of burns
Light switch explodes after power cut
ATEENAGE girl died when a light switch in her King William’s Town home exploded moments after she turned it on following a power outage on Monday.
A badly injured Anele Ngcongco, 17, was admitted to Life Beacon Bay hospital on Monday night with severe burn wounds. She died shortly after 4am yesterday.
Her distraught father, Leslie Ngcongco, said the Grade 11 pupil had returned to their home in Breidbach from school on Monday afternoon and found the area and house without power.
Shortly after 3pm power to the area was restored and Anele went to the main electrical box in the garage and turned on the main switch. “She then went to one of the bedrooms and switched on the light, which exploded,” Ngcongco said.
Anele was electrocuted while the room caught fire and she suffered further burns. “Every time there are power outages we trip the main switch to protect our home appliances and switch it back on when power is restored,” the father said.
Neighbours who heard the explosion rushed to the scene to investigate. Amelia Smith, 73, said she was the first to arrive.
“I found Anele outside the house. She was naked under a running tap trying to cool herself from the burns. She told me the light switch exploded as she was trying to put it on. She did not speak any more,” Smith said.
Neighbours gathered around the burning three-bedroom house and used a hose to fight the fire.
The Buffalo City fire brigade was called and doused the flames soon after arriving.
Anele was rushed to King William’s Town’s Grey Hospital and later transferred to Life Beacon Bay. Her father said: “We got to Beacon Bay just after 8pm.
“The doctor told me that my daughter had 95% burns and that anything could happen.”
Ngcongco received a call yesterday morning telling him that Anele had died. “She was quite an asset in the house,” he said.
“She assisted her mother with cooking and cleaning and really loved her school books.”
The metro’s fire safety inspectors yesterday visited the scene in an attempt to determine what caused the fire.
King William’s Town police spokeswoman Lieutenant Siphokazi Mawisa said an inquest docket had been opened.
Anele was a pupil at Breidbach Secondary School. History department head Benjamin Mentoor said five teachers and a handful of pupils had visited her home yesterday morning.
“We paid our respects and offered messages of support to the family. Her father is a friend and fellow church member. What has happened is terrible.”
East London electrical technician Allen Dengler, of Alldens Electrical, said it was wise for homeowners to trip the main switch during power outages.
“Sometimes the surge damages valuable electrical items when power is restored.”