“She was calling out my name”: Mother dies saving son in Eastern Cape house fire

• In Komani, Eastern Cape, 85-year-old Nonkululeko Jele died saving her son, Phopho Bacela, during a house fire
• Phopho, awakened by her cries, managed to drag her out but suffered burns
• The family lost everything, and police are investigating the fire’s cause

Reitumetse Makwea, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Pretoria, South Africa, has covered court, accidents, weather and crime-related news at The Citizen and Rekord Noweto for over five years.

In Komani, Eastern Cape, Phopho Bacela’s 85-year-old mother, Nonkululeko Jele, died as she heroically saved his life during a devastating house fire.

On a cold night following a power outage, Phopho left his mother by a heater and went to bed.

Her cries for help soon awakened him as the house was engulfed in flames.

“I went straight to bed, and my mum sat on the sofa. The next thing I heard was her crying out my name. She was in flames.”

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Phopho remembered the horrific day

According to Daily Sun, Phopho remembers trying to extinguish the fire consuming his mother with a pillow.

Despite the smoke and flames, he managed to drag her out, suffering burns to his foot, face, and hands in the process.

“I crawled out of the house, and then I could finally breathe. I collapsed and woke up in an ambulance.”

Phopho remembered his mother as loving and protective, deeply missing her sacrifice. They lost all their belongings in the fire, and Phopho is now staying with his younger brother, uncertain about how he will bury his mother.

“We lost everything in the fire. I don’t have an ID or clothes, and I lost my pillar of strength. That day will forever be engraved in my memory,” he said.

Police are investigating the fire

Police spokeswoman Captain Namhla Mdleleni confirmed that an inquest docket had been opened following Nonkululeko Jele’s death due to burn injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

“It is reported that the deceased and her family member were asleep when the fire broke out, waking them up. One family member was able to escape the house. The cause of the fire is currently being investigated.”

Fire at Germiston old age home kills 1, leaves six hospitalised and 44 displaced, SA horrified: “Sad”

Briefly News reported that a fire tore through Die Anker Tehuis old age home in Germiston, leaving one person dead, six recovering in hospital, and 44 others displaced.

The incident happened on Thursday, with authorities undertaking a subsequent investigation to establish the cause of the fire.

Social media users expressed shock over the devastating event, spurring government officials into action.

Source: Briefly News