Thakgallo Mapalakanye was studying when he smelt fire… he got up to search the house and got his family out before the house went up in flames.
Thakgallo Mapalakanye became a local hero recently.
He was up long past his bedtime studying for a Natural Science exam when he smelt smoke in the house. He cautiously walked around the house where his family was sleeping, to investigate.
It was then that he saw a fire near the bed of an empty room. He panicked and went to wake his grandmother. His grandmother rushed to get water and extinguish the fire but the water made the fire worse and spread further. Thakgallo immediately ran to wake up the rest of his family.
“My granny tried to put it out with water, but that only made the flames worse.” – Thakgallo Mapalakanye
Once all the family members were at the front door, they frantically looked for the keys to unlock it but they were not visible. Thakgallo rushed through the smoke to grab his keys from the room. He unlocked the door and his family ran to the safety of the lawn.
The neighbours called the local fire station but sadly the house was burned to the ground. Thakgallo’s mother was at work at the time of the fire and only found out about the fire 4-hours later.
“I am glad my son was so alert and that everyone got out safe,” – Thandeka Mapalakanye
Sadly the incident has left Thakgallo stressed out, all his school books, uniforms and study materials were lost in the fire.
“I lost my books, my school uniform and my phone with all the exam work on. That makes me panic.” – Thakgallo
Thandeka confirmed that they are not sure what started the fire. She is waiting for a report from the fire brigade. The family is currently living with relatives until they can find alternative accommodation.
If you would like to assist the family, you can contact them on 083 703 4276 or 078 211 4305.
Sources: Roodepoort Report
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