SOUTH AFRICA: Blaze at Old-Age Home Causes Evacuation

PRETORIA (Pretoria News), May 12, 2006: More than 70 elderly people were evacuated after a fire broke out in a room in an old-age home in Sunnyside on Thursday reports Janine du Plessis. The blaze began at around 11.15am in one of the rooms at Nebohof in Troye Street. The cause was apparently the "overloading" of a wall plug. A matron at the home, Annetjie Angelo, called the fire department, and started evacuating people immediately. Only one person was treated for "shock". Emergency services spokesperson Johan Pieterse said when they got to the scene there was plenty of smoke and people trying to get out of the building. "We realised we needed as much assistance as possible to get everyone out safely as they are elderly people. They were using walking sticks, crutches and some were in wheelchairs. We called for assistance from five fire stations."