Radio Broadcaster, children homeless after fire destroys house 

A fire just after noon on Thursday gutted a one-storey house at Lot 6 Thorn’s Drive Durban Backlands, Georgetown, leaving 49-year-old Mia Ritchie and two of her children homeless.

Ritchie, who is employed as a Broadcaster with the state-owned NCN Radio, was in tears when the News Room arrived at the scene.

The fire started around 12:30hrs, a neighbour said and the cause is not yet known.

Durban backlands and surrounding communities in Georgetown have been experiencing unstable electricity all morning.

In tears, Ritchie told News Room her Supervisor informed her that the house was on fire.

“When I came the entire house was engulfed with fire and smoke. Other than the refrigerator that is usually on…I don’t think anything was left on, because when we left home there was a blackout,” Ritchie told News Room.

The woman said everything she owned was destroyed in the fire.