18 old folks perish in SA fire

JOHANNESBURG – Eighteen elderly people died after a fire swept through their old age and frail care centre outside of Johannesburg, South African emergency services said yesterday, as investigators began digging through the rubble to determine the cause of the fire.Paramedics said another 84 people were rescued from the Pieter Wessels old age home about 40 miles southeast of Johannesburg.One of the victims died from a heart attack after being evacuated to a nearby church. The fire broke out late on Sunday.The Netcare rescue agency said yesterday that 17 bodies were recovered from razed buildings at the home.Three of the survivors were hospitalised for burn treatment. Most of the others had suffered from smoke inhalation.Family members who gathered outside the home yesterday said survivors, many of them disabled and in wheelchairs, were rescued in their pajamas and lost their clothing and belongings. Zweli Dlamini, a district official, said DNA tests were needed to identify some of the victims who were burned beyond recognition. (AP)