A 70-year-old man lost his life on Monday morning, June 15, after a fire ravaged through a shelter which was housed in the former Volksrust Provincial Hospital.
Brigadier Leonard Hltahi explained that the fire destroyed 12 rooms of the shelter, where a group of elderly and unemployed people stayed.
According to Brigadier Hltahi, the police, ambulance and firefighters were called to the scene. It was then that the elderly man was found motionless inside one of the rooms.
“The old man was unfortunately certified dead at the scene by the medical personnel,” said Brigadier Hltahi.
Jan-Henk van Vuuren of WATCO Emergency Medical Services said the rest of the shelters were safely evacuated.
He adds that fire and rescue teams from both the Pixley Ka Seme Municipality and the Amajuba Power Station battled to control the raging fire.
The cause of the blaze is unknown at this stage. Police have opened an inquest docket and the matter will be investigated
