Toddler dies in Benoni shack fire

A toddler has died after the shack he was in caught fire in Benoni east of Johannesburg on Thursday morning.

ER24 spokesperson Annine Siddall says the boy’s elder sister was also in the shack when the fire started.

Due to the nature of the toddler’s injuries it was difficult to determine exactly how old he was.

Siddall says: “The boy was declared dead by medics on scene. He sustained fatal burn wounds.”

“The toddler’s sister, a girl believed to be 12 years old did not sustain any injuries in the fire.”

The exact details surrounding the cause of the fire are not yet known but local authorities are investigating.