Woman dead in KZN veld fires

2008-09-06 18:06

Johannesburg - A 68 year-old woman died in Eshowe during veld fires in KwaZulu-Natal, police said on Saturday.

Inspector Mbongeni Mdlalose said the woman was in a hut in her homestead at Emabhudle Reserve in Kwa Khoza, Eshowe when she saw fires approaching her at about 17:00 on Friday.

She ran and hid in a bush.

"The fire caught her there and she died on the scene."

Mdlalose said a 14-year-old girl was taken to hospital in Mbongolwane on Friday just after 13:00 after she suffered from smoke inhalation.

He said ten houses were also reported to have been destroyed by veld fires in Gingindlovu just outside Eshowe.

On Friday, 11 veld fires were reported across Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.

On Saturday, Working on Fire's advocacy manager Val Charlton said weather had cooled considerably in the Lowveld.

She said it seemed there would be a weekend respite and that by Monday the danger of fires starting would flare up again.

Seven of South Africa's nine provinces have been hit recently by over 100 fires fanned by strong winds.

Over 30 lives were lost in KwaZulu-Natal alone. There were a small number of fatalities in other provinces, thousands of animals were killed and tens of thousands of hectares of land destroyed.

- SAPA