'We ran closer, stumbling through the dark. That's when we heard the screams. People were trapped inside,' said a relative of the three people who died in the incident.

When Dudu Zwane heard a thundering crash in the early hours of Sunday, 28 December 2025, in Block 1, Doornkop, Soweto, she thought a truck had crashed into a neighbouring house.

Her partner rushed outside and returned to say that her grandmother's house had collapsed.

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"We ran closer, stumbling through the dark," Zwane said. "That's when we heard the screams. People were trapped inside."

Zwane said another relative, Zweli, who lived in a structure in the yard, had forced his way into the wreckage, clawing through debris in a desperate attempt to reach those who were trapped.

Zwane said she tried to follow, but Zweli shouted for her to stay away. Moments later, there was a second collapse.

"If I hadn't stepped back, I wouldn't be here," Zwane said.

The two-storey house had collapsed, killing three occupants: Hlonophile Xaba (60), her daughter Nqobile Xaba (24) and one-year-old granddaughter Langelihle Xaba. The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) is investigating.

The morning of the disaster, Zwane said they shouted to those trapped under the rubble.

"We were hopeful," she said. "We'd asked them to throw the youngest child out, but they couldn't because they were pinned. Granny [Hlonophile Xaba] was still...