Five young children lost their lives when a shack caught fire at the Sonderwater informal settlement in Ikageng, North West, late on Sunday night.
The victims, aged between one and nine, were found inside the burnt-out structure shortly before midnight after police responded to reports of a blaze.
Police spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh said officers arrived to find the shack completely destroyed.
“Upon arrival, officers discovered a shack that had been destroyed by fire. The bodies of five children were found inside the structure. Emergency medical rescue services, who attended the scene, certified all five children dead.”
Mothers alerted by neighbours
Preliminary investigations indicate that the children had been left alone at home while their mothers — two sisters — visited a nearby location.
Myburgh said the women were alerted by community members that their shack was on fire and rushed back to the scene.
“They rushed back to the scene and, together with members of the community, attempted to extinguish the flames using buckets of water,” said Myburgh. “Due to access challenges within the informal settlement, firefighting efforts were severely hampered.
“Three of the deceased children, aged one, seven and nine, are children of one sister, and the other two, aged one and eight, are children from the second sister.”
Emergency services declared all five children dead at the scene.
Second fatal fire in two weeks
The tragedy comes just weeks after another deadly blaze in the same area.
According to Myburgh, on 6 July a fire tore through the Hashtag informal settlement, also in Ikageng, claiming the lives of four-month-old twin boys. The infants were discovered in the debris after the flames had been extinguished.
The back-to-back incidents have heightened concerns about fire safety in densely populated informal settlements, where homes are often built in close proximity using highly flammable materials and where access for fire engines can be severely limited.
Police warning
Acting provincial commissioner of North West Major-General Ryno Naidoo urged residents to take greater precautions, stressing that children should never be left alone at home.
“Police once more urge residents to take extra precautions to reduce the risk of house fires as follows, and are warned that children should never be left at home alone,” said Naidoo.
Police have reiterated the following fire-safety precautions:
- Never leave candles, paraffin stoves or open flames unattended;
- Extinguish candles and switch off heating devices before going to sleep or leaving home;
- Keep candles, heaters and open flames away from curtains, bedding, clothing and other flammable materials;
- Avoid overloading electrical plugs and extension cords;
- Ensure paraffin stoves and heaters are in good working condition and placed on stable, non-flammable surfaces;
- Do not leave children unattended in homes where candles, heaters, or cooking appliances are in use;
- Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children;
- Plan an escape route and ensure everyone in the household knows how to evacuate quickly in the event of a fire; and
- If a fire starts, leave the structure immediately and call the fire department or emergency services from a safe location.
Investigation underway
The cause of Sunday night’s fire is under investigation.
For residents of Sonderwater and the broader Ikageng area, the loss has deepened anxieties about safety in informal settlements, where limited infrastructure and access challenges can turn small fires into fatal disasters within minutes.
Authorities have urged community members to remain vigilant and to report any fire hazards to local structures and emergency services before tragedy strikes again.
