A brave Bo-Kaap man and his friends risked their lives to help evacuate scared school children during the blaze which ripped through the Holy Cross Primary School last week.
The fire, which broke out on Thursday afternoon, gutted several classrooms, the feeding scheme and a brand-new library but luckily no children were hurt.
Achmad Taylor, 38, says he was driving with two friends and got a skrik when they saw the thick smoke clouds billowing from the Walmer Estate school.
“As we were driving it was in the beginning stages so we turned around and stopped,” he says.
“My friend said 'let’s go check on the kids' because we did not see any fire trucks yet.
“When we stopped, the teachers said they need help and we went inside.”
Taylor says while the teachers were unable to stop the flames, which were fanned by the wind, engulfing the roof, they focused on evacuating the children.
“It was like in the movies where the fire creeps all on the ceiling and it looks like this bright orange river of flames, it was so intense,” he says.
“But as you come in, your eyes start burning, your chest starts burning and I really don’t know how those kids managed.
Inhalation
“When we got there, a few of the kids were already out and we were just looking for a few more and we found this little boy, he was so out of it from the smoke inhalation, so he was carried out.”
Taylor says they managed to rescue about 10 kids.
Principal Nomthandazo Zweni says since the fire, they have been overwhelmed by the support of organisations and businesses which have stepped in to feed the children.
“We are grateful that no children were injured but the teachers really worked hard to keep them all safe. People came to help but we cannot remember all of them,” she says.
“The children have been moved to other classrooms but as the feeding scheme is destroyed, we have had many businesses like Shoprite that are helping to feed the children.”
She says at this stage they are waiting to hear when repairs will commence but the affected classrooms have been cordoned off.
“It has been closed off while they do the investigation into the fire but the school is 119 years old so we will also have to wait for heritage approval.
“Our biggest issue now is waiting for the electricity supply to be restored, we are also in desperate need of portable toilets as the majority of the toilets were affected.”
Anyone who would like to assist can call Shannon on 083 305 3245.