Emergency personnel rushed to Victoria Embankment, to a block of flats that was on fire and with people entrapped inside the building.

When emergency personnel arrived on the scene, they found the building engulfed in flames, with smoke bellowing from the second floor. The members of public had evacuated the building and were standing on the side of the road. The Fire Department were able to control the blaze and eventually the fire was put out. SAPS Search and Rescue along with Firemen searched the building and found two bodies of two children aged between 1 and 3 burnt to death.
The mother was down stairs and was treated by ER24 paramedics once the news was broken to her about her children. She was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for shock and get trauma counselling.

It’s unclear what caused the fire but the necessary authorities will investigate the incident further.

Derrick Banks, ER24

5 Fire Fighters have been injured after they were fighting a veld fire, that allegedly started next to the R82 in Vereeniging, crossed over a wall and carried on burning through a property. On the property were various pieces of scrap metal, including parts of vehicles and gas cylinders.

ER24 arrived on the scene and found the local Fire Department trying to keep the fire from spreading any further on the farm. It is believed that while the Firemen were extinguishing the fire, some of the old gas cylinders were right in the heat, causing them to explode where the 5 men closest to the explosion got hurt. They were lucky enough to have suffered only minor injuries from the blast, but were taken to hospital for further medical examination.

The fire was finally contained to a smaller area and was then extinguished by the remaining Firemen at the scene. How the fire actually started is not know, but it was not long before it started to spread and thanks to the quick reaction of the Fire Department, the damage to property was contained to a small area.

Derrick Banks, ER24

A man believed to be in his late 40’s is in a critical condition after the informal home he lived in caught alight this afternoon.

ER24 and other emergency personnel arrived on the scene and found the informal home engulfed in flames. The community showed the paramedics were the man was who had being rescued by friends after the fire had started. The man was assessed and found that he had suffered 90 percent burns to his body and was in a critical condition. Advanced Life Support intervention had to be performed on the patient before he was rushed to the local Provincial Hospital in George.

It is believed that there were two men inside the informal home when the fire broke out. The one man was lucky enough to get out while his friend got caught in the fire. The necessary authorities were on the scene and would investigate the incident further.

Derrick Banks, ER24

Emergency personnel arrived on the scene and found 3 factories including a paint factory were gutted in the blaze. ER24 paramedics from the Strand, examined and treated several patients for various smoke inhalation and mild to moderate burns. They were treated on the scene before transporting them to various hospitals in the greater Cape Peninsula.

The cause of the fires in the three factory’s is still unknow but the local investigators were on the scene and would investigate the incident further.

Derrick Banks, ER24

The fire started at 18:40 in the Siyanyazela informal settlement on Saturday night.

“Some 50 persons were left homeless as a result of the fire,” the city said.

Disaster response teams were on the scene on Sunday night and offered emergency accommodation.

However, the victims preferred to stay and protect their belongings. They sought shelter with family and friends.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire was not known.

Four workers at a recycling factory that is situated on Mill Road in Belville South have been treated for smoke inhalation after the factory caught alight this afternoon.

ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene and found the Fire Department in attendance. Black smoke could be seen bellowing out of the factory and people were being evacuated from the factory while emergency personnel assessed the situation. Four people came to the ER24 paramedics complaining of battling to breath. They were assessed and found they may have had suffered smoke inhalation. They were given oxygen and taken to a nearby hospital in a stable condition for a further medical care.

It is unclear what may have caused the fire but the local authorities were on the scene and would investigate the incident further.

Derrick Banks, ER24

A home in Helderkruin, Roodepoort at the corners of Dakota and Bankett Road, has been ripped apart this morning by an apparent explosion.

The 31 year old man who was alone in the bedroom at the time and was extensively injured; he needed immediate treatment of burn injuries to his face, arms, chest and legs. He was found still on the first floor of the house, and was stabilised as far as possible before he was taken to the waiting ambulance. The ER24 Discovery Medicopter was called in to assist with rapid transportation of the man to hospital.

It is not clear as to the exact cause of the explosion that cause such extensive damage to the structure of the house, but it is believed that there was some sort of large cylinder in the bedroom that the man was occupying. The necessary authorities will conduct their investigations into the cause of the explosion.

The man’s girlfriend and two children were fortunately not at home at the time of the incident and the 31 year old was the only one injured.

The neighbours explained that they could feel the force of the explosion, causing the walls in their homes to shake.

The man was airlifted to the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.

Vanessa Jackson, ER24

A fire allegedly started in the storage area of a supermarket in Doctor Swanepoel Street in Montana this morning.

ER24 paramedics were called to the store as there had been three people who were suspected to have sustained smoke inhalation injuries. Luckily, there had only been a few employees in the area at the time, and the store was not yet open for patrons.

The three employees, an 18 year old and two others in their 30′s, had suffered only minor to moderate smoke inhalation injuries and were treated accordingly before being taken to the Montana Hospital a short distance away.

No one else was injured in the incident, and it not understood at this stage what actually caused the alleged fire, and as to the exact extent of damage to the building.

Vanessa Jackson, ER24

UPDATE on Montana Supermarket fire:

After the initial 3 patients who were treated and transported to hospital, a further 39 people working at the supermarket started to complain of difficulty breathing after possible smoke inhalation from the fire.

The patients were all assessed, treated  accordingly on scene and taken to hospitals in the surrounding area for further treatment by the various ambulances who were called to the scene.

The damage to the building is at this stage still unknown.

Vanessa Jackson, ER24

Today is Heritage day – a day to remember those who have brought South Africa to where we are today! This day has also become known as Braai Dag, a day where all South Africans celebrate their common heritage by braaing on the 24th of September.

Braaing is a deep-rooted tradition in South Africa that cuts across all demographic groups!

So why blog about Braaidag on the Accidents Blog? It is important to consider safety at all times – safety on the road to friends where we might gather around the fire, safety with fire and most importantly safety in returning home. A good braai always goes off well with a few other uniquely South African beverages – which could unfortunately decrease our driving ability!

We would like to encourage the responsible South Africans to do their bit today for the safety of friends and family at the braai. Encourage them to stay over or manage their safe travelling arrangements. Be the designated driver, take the car keys or arrange for someone to drive your loves ones home!

We would like to invite our friends to get in the right spirit by also viewing:

• How to braai – A visual Guide
• Braai4Heritage

One man has died and another is in a serious condition after an explosion occurred at a scrap yard in Mosselbay.

Two men were allegedly busy cutting an unknown cylinder when an unknown gas ignited causing an explosion. The two men working on the cylinder were thrown off of their feet.

When ER24 paramedics arrived at the scene the two men were being attended to by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services. According to on-scene paramedics the one man had sustained severe injuries in the form of facial trauma and an amputated leg. He was declared dead whilst being transported to the hospital.

The second man had sustained a severe injury to his leg and was treated on the scene before being transported to hospital. Three other individuals who had allegedly witnessed the explosion received on-scene treatment by ER24 paramedics for psychological shock, before being transported to a nearby medical facility.

Local authorities who attended the scene will be investigating the incident further.

ER24