Durban — The number of firefighters who died while trying to contain a runaway fire in Boston outside Pietermaritzburg last Sunday has risen to seven.
Richard Vusi Dlamini from Elandskop village, is the seventh employee to die from the incident. His death was confirmed by the family and Sappi.
Dlamini was also employed by Farmusa Contracting, a private firm that was contracted by Sappi.
The firefighters were called to put out a fire that was raging in Sterling Farm which is adjacent to Sappi plantations. The farm does not belong to Sappi.
Speaking to the Daily News on Monday, family member Nokwanda Dlamini, confirmed that the firefighter died at the Hilton Hospital where he was admitted on the day of the incident. She said Dlamini had burn wounds all over his body and had been unable to talk since being admitted to the hospital.
Sappi spokesperson, Siya Kobese said: “I would like to confirm the sad news of the passing of the seventh fighter.”
During the incident, three firefighters died on the scene while the another three died at the hospital upon arrival.
National and provincial government officials including Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, his deputy Dr Dickson Masemola, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, Agriculture MEC Thembeni Madlopha-Mthethwa, uMngeni Municipality mayor Chris Pappas visited the bereaved families.
Hlabisa said it was important to get first-hand information to assist him and the cabinet about the province’s request to declare the areas affected by fires as disaster areas.
He and MEC Madlopha-Mthethwa also met farmers and handed over bales for livestock since the grazing land was damaged by the fire. A report compiled by the KZN Cogta department revealed that the preliminary cost of the fires in the province was R89 million.
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Daily News