A Grahamstown man trapped in a burning house died stuck to a window frame trying to escape, while two others sustained serious burns.
A Grahamstown man trapped in a burning house died stuck to a window frame trying to escape, while two others sustained serious burns.
The 38-year-old man, a correctional services employee at the St Albans Correctional Centre in Port Elizabeth, died trying to get out of a window, after the house he was in with friends and relatives caught fire.
The blaze occurred at about 9.15pm in Jadi Street, Ext 1 on Wednesday 15 July.
Two other men who were also in the house were rushed to hospital with serious burns just before 10pm.
Police had to carefully remove the dead man's body from the window frame before placing it in a forensic pathology van.
When Grocott's Mail arrived at the scene, the badly burned men couldn't stop shaking as paramedics treated them outside the burning house before taking them to Settlers Hospital.
The clothes they were wearing had been almost completely destroyed.
Bystanders at the scene said that a young man in the house had allegedly kicked a paraffin heater in anger, which started the fire.
He had apparently had an argument with one of the men about alcohol, before he allegedly kicked the heater.
Chief of Makana Municipality's Fire Department, William Welkom, said the kicking over of a paraffin heater was the suspected cause of the fire.
He confirmed that one person had been killed and two others injured.
"We got the call at about 9.19 on Wednesday night," he said.
Welkom said it was unfortunate that a person had lost his life in the fire.
He said the cold winter conditions contribute to a lot of fires during this time of the year because people want to keep themselves warm.
Relatives of the victims wept uncontrollably when they learned of the 38-year-old man's death and on seeing the injuries sustained by the two other men.
Neighbours gathered in front of the burning house in gowns and pyjamas.
Police spokesman, Lieutenant Luvuyo Mjekula, also confirmed that the cause of fire was a paraffin heater and that a 38-year-old man had been killed in the blaze.
"We cannot release the names until next of kin have been informed," he said. Mjekula said the two men who were also injured have since been transferred to a Port Elizabeth hospital.
He said arson is not suspected. "An inquest case has been opened." The police haven't made any arrests.
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