The death toll has dropped to 12 in the devastating fire that gutted a Nkandla old-age home in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday night, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) reported on Wednesday. Earlier reports said that 15 people had died.
Radio news reported that a cigarette may have caused the fire.
Four other people have been hospitalised. The victims were mainly wheelchair-bound elderly people, the broadcaster reported.
The traumatised survivors of the blaze have been housed in other sections of the Kwabadala old-age home. The Nkandla municipality has provided them with blankets and food.
Health department spokesperson Chris Maxon said the bodies of the deceased were taken to a mortuary in Richards Bay. Post-mortems were to be conducted on all the remains on Wednesday.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele has conveyed his condolences to the families of the 12 people who were killed in the fire.
”On behalf of the government and people of KwaZulu-Natal, I want to express our condolences to the families of those who were killed at the Nkandla old-age home and wish those injured a speedy recovery.
”Our thoughts and prayers are with all the affected families. The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government will certainly assist the families of the victims during these difficult moments,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal social development minister Meshack Hadebe, who rushed to the scene, said his department will assist the families of the victims and in rebuilding the institution, the SABC reported.