An inquest has been opened into the death of five people in a house fire at Ndwedwe, outside Tongaat, on Sunday. Among those who died were four teenagers.
Sphesihle Mfeka (16), Ndumiso Mfeka (14), Sbusiso Mfeka (13) and Thabiso Dlamini (15) were in the house, which is atached to a tuckshop. The children were playing in a room when one of them accidentally lit matches near the curtains, which caught fire.
Family member Boniswa Mfeka told The Witness: “The house was engulfed by huge flames within minutes. The children and the owner of the shop were unable to escape. The children had visited my sister, who is working at the shop.
“Sometimes Siphesihle used to assist her at the shop when the owner is on other duties.”
Head of Reaction Unit South Africa, Prem Balram, said firefighters from the eThekwini Fire Department battled to contain the blaze as the house was completely engulfed in flames
