Four women died‚ including Nhlonipho Mnguni’s wife Gwen‚ when the cruise boat caught fire in the dam. Mnguni of Diepkloof‚ Soweto‚ said the accident happened just after 2pm as they were about to have lunch.
He said the boat was stationary when the blaze started‚ prompting him to run around to find a fire extinguisher to help put it out. He did not know that his 33-year-old wife was trapped in the ferry’s toilet.
“I do not know how or where the fire started. All I remember is that I was running around and helping extinguish the fire. I had no idea my wife was trapped in the toilet‚” said Mnguni‚ who had been married to Gwen for five years.
Mnguni said when the fire started to get stronger‚ he began searching for his wife as other passengers were being loaded onto smaller rescue boats.
“There were already people leaving in rescue boats‚ and I assumed she was one of them. I assumed she was already rescued when I couldn’t find her.”
He said a police officer later told them that there was someone trapped in the ferry. They were also told that a body had been retrieved from the toilet and that he should go and identify it.
