Deadly fire tears through Vryheid
A massive veld fire has ripped through parts of Vryheid, in northern KZN, burning for more than nine hours before it was finally put out in the early hours of this morning.
Belinda Catchpole who is with Kwazulu Private Ambulance says the fire that started late yesterday afternoon, just outside Vryheid, started spreading from Stillwater.
"It went all the way across the P16 to Vryheid East. It was extinguished just before the Mpofini Game Reserve on the R34," she says.
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Catchpole says the flames also spread to a minibus taxi on R34.
"By the time we got there - one person had already died from their injuries. Two others were critical with 100% burn wounds," she says.
A total of 15 people were treated for various injuries - including a three-month-old baby who had suffered smoke inhalation.
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