By Farouk Araie
Cape Town - The kindness, warmth and immense assistance given to the victims of the Boksburg fiery gas inferno is an act of magnanimity unprecedented in recent times.
Helpers rushed forward in the pandemonium to bravely assist the injured as flames of fury shattered the environment.
The impact area resembled a war zone, the sound of the explosion was equivalent to a seismic event.
The country’s grief was punctuated by an overwhelming sense of bereavement. The shock of an awakening and the sense of disillusionment was seen before a global audience.
Some of those brave acts of heroism in attempting to rescue the injured and retrieve the dead were acts of courage that will be recorded and remembered for posterity.
South Africa witnessed raw strength in the face of pain and monumental grief. Communities and organisations rallied with courage, grace and resilience to confront a raging inferno that placed in peril the entire neighbourhood.
There are a plethora of courageous organisations that reacted immediately to this monumental fiery inferno, among them The Gift of the Givers, and the directors of Goodies Funeral, whose massive contributions will be remembered by the citizens of this area for decades to come.
The world witnessed one of the most courageous displays of resilience and supreme bravery in our history.
December 24th, 2022, will be embedded in our collective memories.
Those haunting images are among many that will haunt us for decades, as we ponder how and why this tragedy occurred.
We will never forget the gut-wrenching loss, the human toll and the grotesque pictures of the third degree burns suffered by the innocent.
To all those who contributed in this hour of crisis, your selfless actions reflect the indomitable spirit of Rainbow South Africa, a spirit that will inspire the recovery ahead.
Cape Times
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