Five shacks caught alight in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, in the early hours of Saturday, claiming the lives of six people, half of which were children, and critically injuring another.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service crews from Lansdown, Macassar and Mitchells Plain were dispatched after receiving a notification of a fire in SST Section, Town 2 just after 1am.
Also read: Cape Town fire claims lives of five victims and leaves several injured
Upon arriving at the scene, several structures were found burning and crews were informed that more than one person was unaccounted for.
‘Three children and three adults died, and ‘one adult male was rushed to hospital via ambulance as he received third-degree burn wounds and was in a critical condition,’ said City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Jermain Carelse.
It is believed that a paraffin burner was knocked over accidentally during loadshedding in the area, according to resident, Nobom Twaise, who told News24 that so many houses have been burnt down in the last few weeks.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, said ‘the cause of the fire is yet to be determined’.
Provincial police have opened an inquest docket.
This latest fire incident comes just a few days after another fire in Kleinvlei claimed the lives of five people, two of which were children. The cause was also believed to be linked to a lit candle during loadshedding.
Mark van de Heever, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Wellness, said data from their HECTIS system, which collates data from 34 facilities, has recorded 10 010 cases of varying burn injuries.
According to Van der Heever, 313 people have succumbed to their injuries due to fires, reports IOL.
Van der Heever explains that it must be noted that not all recorded wounds are due to fires exclusively, but rather a combination of injuries sustained from household equipment, hot water, electrical, flames and fires.
The number of cases, however, remains a cause for concern.
Also read:
One security guard killed and one injured in attack on City inspectors
Picture: Joachim Preesl / Unsplash