Johannesburg – A blaze ripped out the heart of Platform Five in Joburg’s Jeppestown early on Sunday. But when the firefighters arrived, they needed police to protect them from a barrage of bricks and fury.
But they were too late. Three people were dead, burnt beyond recognition. Those who survived the inferno had lost everything – their shacks, their belongings and whatever cash they had saved.
About 2km away, another team of firefighters also faced the community’s wrath when their fire engine apparently ran out of water. They were nearly beaten up by residents, as the blaze continued unhindered.
One resident said that another engine dispatched to the scene broke down on arrival and a mechanic had to be called out to fix it.
The first fire broke out at about 1am at the George Goch informal settlement.
The water allegedly ran out while the firefighting teams were still putting out the fire.
A tanker later arrived, but residents said its water also ran out, leaving the firefighters at the mercy of the angry residents, who had to stand and watch their homes go up in flames as the fire spread.
The community accused the firefighters of being “useless” and for getting paid for doing nothing.
A resident is reported to have threatened firefighters with violence, saying that if he had had his gun with him, he would have shot them…
South Africa Today – South Africa News
