A four-year-old boy and his four-month-old baby sister have burnt to death in a shack at Zone 8 Meqheleng in the Free State town of Ficksburg. The incident occurred on Christmas night.
Police Spokesperson Phumelelo Dlamini says the incident happened while their parents were busy arguing in the neighbour’s home.
It is not yet known what caused the fire.
Police have opened an inquest docket and have not yet made any arrests.
Earlier, more than sixty shacks at the Hoffman Road informal Settlement have caught fire, after one of the shacks was allegedly set alight, in Durban.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Spokesperson Thulani Zwane says it is not clear how many people have been affected. He says some shack owners are still on holiday and away from home.
“Mayville police opened a case of arson after few shacks we burnt in their area. It is alleged that the victim was in his shack when he had a fight with somebody else and it is further alleged that the person started to burn his shack. As a result other shacks in the vicinity were also burnt. The victim sustained injuries due to the burn wounds and he was taken to hospital for treatment,” says Zwane.
In the Western Cape, Working on Fire personnel have been dispatched to a wild fire close to the Plettenberg Bay airfield in the Southern Cape. The Southern Cape Fire Protection Association says a fixed wing water bomber, Huey helicopter and Spotter plane are also on their way.
Bitou Fire and Rescue Services are currently managing the incident.
