JOHANNESBURG — A South African orphanage director died a hero, rescuing nine children as their rural home burned, local media reported today.
The blaze early Tuesday killed Sarah Holland, the director and founder of the Hope of Christ Home in KwaZulu-Natal province, along with two adults and eight children between the ages of 4 and 15.
Holland, known as Granny, had gathered the children into the only room without burglar bars, according to one of the children who survived.
“Granny passed us all the little babies,” Zanele Nkosi, 11, told The Times newspaper. “I gave the babies to my friend and we put them (on) one side and waited for others.”
Holland had operated the orphanage in her home on a small farm, said Mandla Ngema, spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Department. Three of her grandchildren who were living with her were among the dead.
“There was a fire escape, however, it was at night and it was an accident so we don’t know what happened,” Ngema told AP.
The cause of the blaze remained under investigation. Authorities initially had said that 15 people had died Tuesday, but revised the toll today.
The Star reported Holland apparently died of smoke inhalation.
A neighbor, Albert Kubheka, told eTV: “I heard people crying inside. We tried to rescue them, but we couldn’t get inside as the flames were too big.
“Then they were quiet and we realized they were dead.”
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