Two girls die in fire

06 August 2007 - 02:00
By unknown
DEATH BY FIRE: Limpopo businessman Elliot Thanyani and police survey the damage to his 15-roomed double-storey house, which burnt at the weekend killing his two daughters. PIc. Elmon Tshikudo.
DEATH BY FIRE: Limpopo businessman Elliot Thanyani and police survey the damage to his 15-roomed double-storey house, which burnt at the weekend killing his two daughters. PIc. Elmon Tshikudo.

By Benson Ntlemo

By Benson Ntlemo

Two girls aged died when their parents' double-storey house caught fire at Dzwerani in Vuwani, Limpopo, on Friday night.

Their father, local businessman Elliot Thanyani, escaped unhurt. His wife was not home when the incident happened.

Thanyani said that apart from losing his daughters, he had also lost everything in the house.

The girls, Fufufhelo, 20, and Lindelani, 10, were sleeping on the ground floor where the fire apparently started.

"I heard a loud bang and when I jumped out of bed I realised there was smoke and fire. I ran downstairs and broke down a door and a burglar door. I called out to my daughters but they did not respond. The fire became stronger. I am bitter that I could not save them," he said.

The fire spread quickly through the 15-room house. It is not clear what caused the explosion, which caused the fire to spread.

Neighbours tried in vain to help extinguish the fire and save the girls.