Cape Town — Firefighters in Verulam in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) fought valiantly to put out a fire at a furniture factory, despite the area not having any water.
Verulam has now been without water for four months and had to rely on 11 water trucks transported from Mount Edgecombe and Durban North, EWN reported.
“We had to send the water tankers to different places to fetch water. We usually take up to an hour to extinguish a fire, but due to the water challenge and the building that collapsed we took longer,” Verulam fire department division commander Bruce Begier, said.
According to KZN police spokesperson, Nqobile Gwala, the fire started at midnight on Saturday and took most of the night to extinguish. Smoke was still smouldering on Monday. Four people were reported to be in the building, with three bodies burnt beyond recognition, Gwala said.
There has been no water in Verulam for the past week, with residents saying a fire that claimed lives could not be put out because of this. @Senzo_Mchunu_ committed to residents last month that the water issues would be resolved.
Now residents are protesting again.
How are… https://t.co/LXpMjo2cp9— Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster (@NobuntuSA) March 5, 2024
Verulam water crisis committee chairperson, Roshan Lil-Ruthan, said the eThekwini municipality must answer as to why the fire hydrants had no water and said, if there had been a sufficient water supply, lives could have been spared and the factory could have been saved.
“This tragedy serves as a wake-up call to the urgent need for proper water management,” Lil-Ruthan added.
Provincial labour department spokesperson Nhlanhla Khumalo said an inspection and investigation into the factory fire was underway and a preliminary report would be released as soon as possible.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
