A fire broke out at an old age home in Ekurhuleni early Thursday morning, resulting in one fatality of a 65-year-old person and hospitalizing six others due to smoke inhalation. The incident occurred at Bruce and Victoria Streets in Germiston and was reported to Ekurhuleni Emergency Medical Services (EMS) at 9:32 am.

According to William Ntladi, spokesperson for Ekurhuleni EMS, upon arrival, the Die Anker Tehuis old age home was already engulfed in flames with portions of the roof collapsed. “We initiated the evacuation of residents while our teams worked to contain the fire,” Ntladi stated. “It was reported that 51 residents resided there.”

The fire primarily affected the upper floor of the two-story building where it originated, causing significant damage. Emergency services successfully prevented the fire from spreading further throughout the structure.

“Despite taking three hours to fully extinguish the fire, we continued to monitor and address any potential hotspots,” Ntladi added.

Following the evacuation, unaffected residents were relocated to a nearby primary school for temporary shelter. The cause of the fire remains unknown and is currently under investigation by the police.

In other news – WHO issues warning about rising COVID-19 cases

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning about a rise in COVID-19 cases coinciding with a severe flu season in Zimbabwe, which some suspect could be a resurgence of the COVID-19 virus. Contrary to these concerns, the government has reassured the public that the flu outbreak is merely a result of the cold weather and is not linked to COVID-19.

In a letter addressed to the Health and Child Care Secretary, Aspect Maunganidze, WHO representative Desta Tiruneh highlighted an increase in cases in several countries among pilgrims returning from Hajj in Mecca. Read More