THE commission of inquiry has revealed shocking revelations of neglect, delayed response, and crime on the Marshalltown fire which claimed the lives of 77 people.
The building which was once a safe haven for abused women and children was turned into a hijacked crime den which housed 200 shacks.
These are some of the horrific revelations Daily Sun unpacked during the commission of inquiry into Usindiso Building that has been established to investigate the Marshalltown fire which left many homeless.
The investigation into the fire's cause is ongoing, with more victims scheduled to share their testimonies on Monday, February 5, before the commission.
Previously, the commission heard a testimony from a Tanzanian national Omari Hanya who detailed how once he got out of the blaze, and he recounted the efforts they made to rescue those trapped by throwing ropes from the building.
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Although calls were made to ambulances and firefighters to report to the scene, Omari emphasised how they had taken 45 minutes to respond to their call.
“We kept on helping people, but the firefighters came very late and by that time the fire had engulfed the building... They did not even have water. They tried to connect the water but there was no water,” he said.
Meanwhile, another resident Qinicile Dladla said on the fateful day she was woken up by glasses shattering.
She said at the time she had thought it was her neighbour who would get drunk and cause commotion on passage but when she opened the door, she was greeted by a fog of smoke.
“I went back and locked myself in. Fortunately, one of the windows in my room had no burglar bars after the landlord had removed them few months prior. I only managed to grab my phone with nothing but a doek on my body and jumped on the balcony,” Qinicile said.
Although she had managed to leave her room, she was still trapped inside part of the building.
Another witness, a mother of three, identified as Nokwazi Cele detailed how she neglected her one-year-old son in her in a desperate attempt to escape the fire.
The inquiry continues.
