‘My heart broke into million pieces’ - Malacca Road residents tell of fire devastation
Residents of the Malacca Road informal settlement in Durban North are picking up the pieces after a fire left them with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The blaze gutted about 35 structures early Friday morning.
A woman, who had attempted to escape the out-of-control fire, lost her life in the process.
One of the dwellers, Nomkhosi Ngema, says she was woken up by screams from her neighbours when she realised what was happening.
"I was so stunned when I saw the fire starting to come into my home, my partner had to grab me out of there with a blanket to safety on the main road.”
She says she was only able to grab her handbag which contained her important documents, as well her six-year-old daughter.
"I then ran back to grab my phones and then stood far and watched by home burn to the ground. My heart broke into million pieces, I have nothing left."
