Search for bodies at orphanage

2010-02-09 15:54

Newcastle - Police were still combing through the ruins of the Hope in Christ Home orphanage outside Newcastle after 15 people died in the blaze, a spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal police confirmed on Tuesday.

At this stage the police have identified the bodies of at least eight children and nine others had been admitted to hospital.

The cause of the fire was not known.

The spokesperson said fire investigators from Pretoria were expected at the orphanage either late on Tuesday or early on Wednesday to investigate the cause of the fire.

Earlier Mandla Ngema, the spokesperson for social development MEC Meshack Radebe said: “The person in charge of the home and her four children were burnt to death and eight other children's bodies were found dead."

More bodies

Ngema said a search and rescue team found two more bodies during the course of the morning.

Authorities could not say how many people were living at the Hope in Christ Home orphanage as most documents burnt in the blaze.

Superintendent Jay Naicker said that the police had been called to the orphanage at eNgogo at around 06:00 on Tuesday.

"Police helped the fire department to put out the fire but it was too late, the house burnt down. Nine people have been taken to the hospital with burn wounds."

Two vehicles outside the house were also burnt.

“We have arranged social workers to counsel those that survived in this accident,” Ngema said.

It was believed the dead children were aged between two and 15.

Ngema said Hope in Christ Home was an orphanage administered by the Department of Social Development.

- News 24