A local Imam (spiritual leader) and his family are still reeling from shock, after a fire engulfed their home in Erasmia, this past Monday morning (Feb, 24).
It was around 11am, when the home of Maulana Moosa Raza on Van Dyk Street caught fire, whilst no one was at home. Despite reckless and unsubstantiated posts on social media claiming that the house was let to foreigners by unscrupulous landlords, the Imam emphatically denied the allegations and in fact showed the Laudium Sun reporters some of his personal items that were almost completely destroyed by the fire. It is believed that the fire started in the kitchen due to an electrical short circuit from one of the power plugs. The damages due to the fire are believed to be substantial as not only were most of the household items destroyed, but the house was also almost completely destroyed by fire. The Imam, Maulana Moosa Raza of the Masjid-e-Hasnain on Eli Str in Erasmia, explained further to the Laudium Sun, “It was a very sad day for us, but I thank Allah (SWT) for saving me and my family, as we were not at home at the time. The cause of the fire, as per my knowledge, may have been an electrical short circuit from the power plug in the kitchen. I received a phone call from one of my neighbours about the fire, and I then immediately rushed to my house. Almost everything in the house was damaged, from household items to the ceiling due to the fire.
All I can say is that our house has been destroyed by the fire. It was a huge fire.
Overall, we are going to need a lot of money to cover the damages. We lost all our valuable items in the fire, including the stock for my shop. But I am still thankful to the Almighty for saving my family and I. Many things could have gone wrong if the house had caught fire while we were inside, but that never happened. We are grateful to the Almighty.
Of course, we are extremely saddened to see our home and personal items destroyed, which was a big shock for my family and I. But in the end it is all material, and can be replaced—life cannot.” Neighbour, Jameel Ahmed of Van Dyk Street, told the Laudium Sun, “I am a neighbour of Maulana Moosa, and when I saw smoke coming from the house, I immediately knew something was wrong. I panicked and then saw that there was a big fire inside the house. Fortunately the team from Laudium Disaster Management came quickly to the scene and they actively worked to extinguish the flames. Thankfully, no one was injured, as no one was inside the house at the time.” Hamza Gafoor also of Van Dyk Street told the Laudium Sun, “The fire was really bad with the flames spreading very fast. It destroyed the entire house. I was inside my house when I smelt the smoke. That is when I quickly went out to see what was going on. I saw the crew from the Laudium Disaster Management team there to assist, and many neighbours also came to help.” Pritesh Bhana from Laudium Disaster Management (LDM) told the Laudium Sun, “The Laudium Disaster Management received a call at 11:14 am reporting a structural fire on Van Dyk Street, Erasmia. Members responded promptly to the scene and simultaneously dispatched the City of Tshwane Fire Brigade. Upon arrival, members found a single-storey dwelling with a rapidly spreading fire. Acting swiftly, members initiated fire suppression efforts. The City of Tshwane Fire Brigade arrived shortly thereafter, and together, we successfully extinguished the fire. The cause of the fire remains undetermined and will be the subject of a thorough investigation. The swift response and effective collaboration between Laudium Disaster Management and the City of Tshwane Fire Brigade prevented further damage and potential loss of life.”
