Funeral for young fire victims

Three young children who died when their shack caught fire will be buried at Avalon Cemetery. To prevent more deaths, the EMS has some safety tips.
THE three young Ndlovu children who died in a shack fire in Orlando East on 19 August will be laid to rest at Avalon Cemetery on 25 August.

Candles should never be left burning unattendedDont leave candles burning unattendedOne-year-old twins, Thabo and Thabiso, and their four-year-old sister, Mbali, died after a fire started in their shack, where a heater had been keeping them warm. Their mother, Thembani Moyo, was washing clothes outside and their father, Bongani Ndlovu, was at work.

Percy Morokane, the emergency management services’ media liaison officer, said one of the boys died on the scene and the other two children died later at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

“Our chaplaincy services’ Reverend Kgabele comforted the family and offered trauma counselling at the scene of the incident, as well as at the hospital when they received the sad news of their children’s deaths.”

The funeral service will be held at the Orlando DOCC in Orlando East. It will start at 9am and the procession will leave for the cemetery at 11am.

“South Africa faces increasing levels of fire risks which are manifested through increases in life, property and financial losses. In most instances it is the vulnerable within our communities that are affected the most and for the longest period,” Morokane said.

Those in the zero to four years and 25 to 35 years age groups are particularly vulnerable.

Joburg’s emergency management services encouraged people, especially those living in informal settlements, to be vigilant and not to be negligent with anything flammable or with electrical appliances, to prevent dangerous fires.

To help avoid fires, it has given out safety tips regarding heaters, candles and paraffin stoves.

Mbawulas are major cause of winter deathsMbawulas are a major cause of winter deathsFor heaters, it advises:

Buy the size of your heater according to the size of your family;
Do not cover heaters with blankets, clothing or newspaper;
Asbestos and oil convection heaters use less electricity than bar heaters;
Check your gas heater for any leaks and shut it off tightly when it is not in use; and
Do not use a paraffin stove as a heater.
Regarding candles, it says:

Never leave a candle burning out of sight or when you are asleep;
Extinguish all candles before leaving a room or going to sleep;
Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire;
Do not burn candles near drapes, curtains, bedding, carpets, paper or other decorations;
Do not place lit candles where children or animals can trip over them; and
Always use the right candle holder for the candle.
Another potential danger is paraffin stoves, which are used by many people to cook. The EMS advises:

Never leave a switched-on paraffin stove unattended;
Always make sure that the paraffin stove is placed on a flat, solid surface so that it cannot be knocked over or bumped;
Do not put a cloth under a paraffin stove as it can catch fire;
Always have a bucket of sand nearby when using a paraffin stove;
Do not use water to put out a paraffin fire;
Never leave children alone near a paraffin stove; and
Always use a childproof paraffin safety cap on the paraffin bottle.
Morokane said there needed to be a 100 percent following of these rules to avoid incidents like these.