Two adults and six children have died in a devastating fire at a luxury guest house on Sunday, August 16. One child (7) is unaccounted for. The blaze broke out in Witdraai, located in the Northern Cape, and the cause is yet to be determined.
It is believed that three young couples, with their seven children were travelling in the Kalahari. They stayed over at the lodge where the incident occurred. It is alleged that when police arrived at the scene, the fathers were seen trying to rescue the children from the fire.
Speaking to TimesLIVE, police spokesperson Brigadier Mohale Ramatseba said, five children and two adults have died. An eighth individual died while being treated in hospital.
While the missing Inge Bauer (7) is presumed to be dead, search and rescue teams are continuing efforts to find him.
Ramatseba released the names of the deceased:
– Henry Carstens, 37 years male
– Stefan Bauer 39 years male
– Elre Bauer 4yrs male
– Frans Davin 5yrs male
– Eliza Davin 3 yrs female
– Dane Carstens 36 yrs male
– Magiel Carstens 3 yrs male
– Pierre Carstens 5 yrs boy
The injured is Frans Davin 36 yrs male, in Hospital in Cape Town and the missing child is Inge Bauer (7).
Those not injured are:
– Wilmien Davin 37 yrs female
– Madeline Bauer 36 yrs female
– Ben Davin 1 yr 3 months boy
SPESIALE GEBEDSVERSOEK
My hart is vanoggend stukkend. Daar is tye in jou lewe wanneer dinge met ons gebeur en dat dit…Posted by Matroosberg Reserve on Sunday, August 16, 2020
According to a Facebook post by the Matroosberg Nature Reserve, two members of the Davin family from the Prince Albert Hamlet community reportedly escaped the blaze unscathed, with three members dead. Three members of the Carstens family from Dennekruin died in the fire, while one member is reportedly fighting for his life in ICU.
One member of the Bouwer family from Op-die-Berg in Ceres escaped unharmed and three family members died in the fire.