Three bodies were discovered after a fire broke out at a factory in Verulam. (Tsoanelo Sefoloko/Ground Up)
- Verulam has been without water for over four months.
- for Firefighters struggled to extinguish the fire at the furniture factory.
- Three bodies were found burned beyond recognition.
Firefighters struggled to extinguish the fire at a furniture factory in Verulam, north of Durban, due to a lack of water.
According to GroundUp, the area has been without water for more than four months.
Verulam Fire Chief Bruce Begeer said 11 water tankers had to be dispatched from Mt Edgecombe and Durban North to provide water.
“We had to send water tankers to various locations to fetch water. Usually it takes up to an hour to extinguish a fire, but because of the water issue and the collapsed buildings, it took longer. ” Beguier said.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Nqobile Gwala said the fire broke out just after midnight on Saturday.
It took all night to put out the fire.
The ruins were still smoldering on Monday.
Four people are believed to have been inside the building.
Gwala said three bodies were found burned beyond recognition.
Faruk Joge, who worked at the factory, said the victims slept in the building because they did not have enough money to return to their homes in Tongaat.
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Shaibu Kamwamba, from Malawi, said he was saddened that he could not bury his brother immediately, contrary to his religion.
The family must wait until the forensic investigation and DNA test are completed.
He said he had no money to repatriate the bodies.
Verulam Water Crisis Committee Chairman Roshan Lil Roussan said in a media statement: “eThekwini Municipality must answer why there was no water at the hydrants.
“It is clear that if there had been an adequate water supply, lives could have been saved and factories could have been saved.
“This tragedy serves as a wake-up call to the urgent need for proper water management.”
State Labor Department spokesperson Nhlanhla Khumalo said an inspection and investigation into the factory fire was ongoing and a preliminary report would be released as soon as possible.
In a Feb. 28 media statement, the city announced it was replacing an air valve on the Northern Water Pipeline. After that, the reservoir had to be recharged.
“The city continues to work to improve water supply to the affected areas, and as we are not out of the woods yet, we will continue to consider various interventions,” the statement said.