Firefighters injured as women and children were rescued in Durban NYE blaze

Durban - Four firefighters were injured during the dramatic rescue of women and children trapped in a burning building in Durban's CBD on New Year's Eve.

When firefighters and paramedics arrived at the blaze in Joe Slovo street (previously Field street), one of the floors was engulfed in flames, said ER24 spokesperson Chitra Bodasing.

Three of the firefighters tackling the blaze sustained moderate burn wounds and another was overcome by heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation.

Their colleagues pressed on while they were being treated and found a woman with a toddler and a baby trapped in the building.

They brought them out and treated the 19-year-old woman for smoke inhalation and took the children to hospital for further assessment.

Another woman and a child were trapped on the roof and were eventually brought down to safety.

They had also suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital for further treatment.

Investigators would try and establish what caused the fire.

Source: News24