Three firefighters were killed on Sunday while battling flames in Boston area, near Mpophomeni in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
Midlands Emergency Services (EMS) spokesperson, Roland Robertson, said crew members were dispatched to the area after reports about multiple firefighters who were injured in a veld fire.
“Upon arrival, the paramedics were met with a horrific scene, with multiple patients still on fire and several were deceased,” said Robertson.
Robertson said the Midlands EMS crew along with rescue medics, worked to stabilise several patients while they were still on the scene.
“Three firefighters were placed on ventilators on the scene, with one being airlifted to the hospital. Two other patients were also in critical condition, requiring urgent advanced life support treatment,” he said.
He added that a firefighting aircraft was called to douse the raging flames.
“A decision was made to call in additional backup, including an aeromedical helicopter from Netcare 911 with extra equipment to assist on the scene,” he said
On Saturday, the KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) department said that the death toll in the wildfires had increased to seven with the youngest victims aged two and nine.
The latest incident has increased the death toll 10.
The department said the veld fires impacted 144 people in the district, leaving 53 people homeless.
At least 48 houses were partially damaged, and 27 were completely destroyed.
In addition, the wildfires have also damaged crops and livestock, with farmers losing 1,600 animals and 14,000 hectares of grazing land.
Meanwhile, COGTA MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi, said he has assigned disaster management teams to provide support to the affected families.
On Sunday, Buthelezi was expected to visit disaster-hit communities to provide interim relief to the farmers affected by the fire.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
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