Firefighters were blocked from responding to a house on fire after their vehicle collided with two vehicles which had blocked a road in Mailula section in Vosloorus on New Year’s day.
“The owners of the two vehicles, supported by a good number of partygoers, stopped the fire engine and threatened the firefighters and even took the fire engine’s key, preventing it from proceeding to its intended destination,” Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Members of the public danced on top of the truck and even took photos on it which is totally unacceptable.”
The situation compromised service delivery by five hours.
In a separate incident, a firefighter from Palm Ridge Fire station was physically assaulted in Ramokonopi in West Katlehong when attending a house fire incident where a woman died after sustaining intense burn wounds.
“An assault case was opened at Ramokonopi police station and the firefighter had to be booked off,” DEMS said.
The cause of the fire is still undetermined and the scene was handed over to the police for further investigations.
– African News Agency (ANA)
