Gran dies in fire that leaves 10 people homeless
A Gqeberha grandmother died in a fire that also left at least 10 people homeless at the weekend.
Nelson Mandela Bay spokesperson Kupido Baron said the France Street home in Timothy Valley had been engulfed in flames in the early hours of Saturday.
Gladys Palmer, 62, died in the blaze.
Ten other family members managed to escape after they were woken up by neighbours banging on the door.
“Neighbours speculate that Gladys Palmer, affectionately known as Ouma in the neighbourhood, tried to escape the falling debris and flames by hiding under her mattress.
“Sadly, it also became her last resting place,” Baron said.
A family member, Julius Buys, said it was a miracle that the other relatives had managed to escape unharmed.
Palmer’s grandson, Gugu, managed to grab the children, but could not return to help anyone else due to the intensity of the fire.
Baron said: “The call to the fire and emergency services was received at 3.39am on Saturday and the fire was extinguished by 5.06am.
“The municipality disconnected the house from the electricity grid and restored supply to the rest of France Street.”
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Newly elected mayor Gary van Niekerk conveyed his condolences to the distraught family and arranged for temporary relief packages including mattresses, blankets, food and sanitary products.
“I would like to appeal to the community to assist the family, and especially the children with school uniforms, food, clothes and any other assistance.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them, as it cannot be easy to lose all your earthly belongings and your grandmother at the same time,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the Qolweni informal settlement in Plettenberg Bay about six families were affected when a fire flattened four shacks.
Chuma Dyantyi, 46, lost his home in the fire that broke out on Saturday at about 6.30pm, during loadshedding.
“In 2010, my shack was burned and I lost everything.
“I relocated to the lower part of Qolweni informal settlement where I thought I would be safe from fire outbreaks, but unfortunately I was not lucky and lost my home again,” he said.
“The only things I could grab were my children’s books because community members were screaming telling me to just pick up the school bag and I did.”
Yesterday, communities in Gqeberha and Plettenberg Bay were assisting with cleaning up the mess.
Bitou spokesperson Andile Namntu confirmed that four shacks had burned down.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.