Screams of four dead in Malabar fire are unforgettable
Faith Leslie’s piercing cries of anguish as she watched helplessly while her daughter Leana, 17, and three others burnt to death in a fire on Tuesday morning will haunt Malabar residents for years – as will the spine-chilling screams of pain and terror from the victims, three of them children.
Traumatised residents, who hauled buckets of water to try to douse the blaze and attempted to kick down the door to save the four young people trapped inside, described a fire so ferocious that they were pushed back by the flames and smoke.
They said that despite their best efforts it was impossible to save the four from the Malabar Extension 6 shack.
Luchnene Crotz, 33, and her son, Dwayne, 8, died in the fire along with Luchnene’s sister, Keisha Dolf, 13, and Luchnene’s friend, Leana.
The fire started at about 6am and was mostly extinguished by the residents, who ran back and forth with buckets of water from a tap about 50m away.
Firefighters arrived a short while after the police and put out the remaining flames.
The visibly shattered residents and relatives stood crying as police combed the smouldering embers looking for clues and removing the bodies.
Leslie, 49, stood wailing, her distress palpable, as she watched police scour the ruins.
Leslie lives about 30m from the site of the tragedy.
“I was sleeping and heard screaming, but I thought some- one was being robbed,” she said.
“I did not think much of it and only went to look when I heard a commotion outside and people screaming for help.
“As I walked outside, I saw the flames and ran to the house.
“I heard them [victims] screaming for help, but everything we did failed to work.
“People were shouting, ‘bring water, bring water’,” she said, sobbing.
“She was my child and everyone loved her so much.
“I do not know how this could happen to us.”
Leslie said Leana often stayed at Luchnene’s house as they were best friends.
Dwayne’s father, Preston Wenzle, 37, said he left the house at about 5.40am and woke his wife and sister-in-law up to ensure that they locked the security gate when he left.
Wenzle works as a taxi conductor. “I was at work when people in the taxi told me to get home as there was a fire,” he said.
“I got back as fast as possible and the place was still on fire.
“Why did this happen to me? I do not understand.
“When I left, they were awake – I do not understand how this could happen.”..
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