Walvis woman dies in house fire

AN elderly woman, Susan Beukes (68), died on Monday after sustaining 95 per cent burns in a fire at her home at Rooibank near Walvis Bay.

Her daughter, Rita, said she and her husband and son went to a nearby shop, leaving her mother and father at the house. “As we were walking back, we saw smoke coming from the direction of our home.We first thought it was folk burning rubbish on the nearby dump,” Rita told The Namibian.”Our son ran ahead and as we got closer I thought it was the neighbour’s house burning.We all started running then and to my horror I saw that it was our house that was on fire!” Rita’s husband grabbed a hosepipe while Rita smashed the window from which the smoke was pouring.Rita ran in and saw her father in the kitchen, frantically pointing towards the lounge.”I screamed at him to get out and then I ran into the lounge, the smoke was thick and it was hard to see where my mother was, but I soon saw her burning near a couch,” she said.”I tried to beat the flames off her, while grabbing her by the heels and dragging her outside.”St Gabriel’s Community Service transported Beukes to the Walvis Bay State Hospital.Her condition was critical: 95 per cent of her body sustained second-degree burns and she also suffered from smoke inhalation.She succumbed to her injuries by 22h00.An investigation had been launched, said Rita, but she suspects that her mother went to the lounge to smoke a cigarette.Both her parents had recently suffered strokes and Beukes had difficulty using her hands.”As we were walking back, we saw smoke coming from the direction of our home.We first thought it was folk burning rubbish on the nearby dump,” Rita told The Namibian.”Our son ran ahead and as we got closer I thought it was the neighbour’s house burning.We all started running then and to my horror I saw that it was our house that was on fire!” Rita’s husband grabbed a hosepipe while Rita smashed the window from which the smoke was pouring.Rita ran in and saw her father in the kitchen, frantically pointing towards the lounge.”I screamed at him to get out and then I ran into the lounge, the smoke was thick and it was hard to see where my mother was, but I soon saw her burning near a couch,” she said. “I tried to beat the flames off her, while grabbing her by the heels and dragging her outside.”St Gabriel’s Community Service transported Beukes to the Walvis Bay State Hospital.Her condition was critical: 95 per cent of her body sustained second-degree burns and she also suffered from smoke inhalation.She succumbed to her injuries by 22h00.An investigation had been launched, said Rita, but she suspects that her mother went to the lounge to smoke a cigarette.Both her parents had recently suffered strokes and Beukes had difficulty using her hands.