(IMAGE IS FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES)
A devastating structure fire in Town 2, Khayelitsha claimed the lives of two young boys aged 4 and 7 on Tuesday evening, marking the second such tragedy in Cape Town’s informal settlements this month.
According to SmileFM, the blaze broke out around 9:30pm following strong winds from a passing cold front, with Khayelitsha and Lansdowne fire crews taking nearly 90 minutes to contain the flames.
The City’s Fire & Rescue Service confirmed firefighters discovered the siblings’ bodies with fatal burn wounds beneath the collapsed structure shortly before 11pm. This incident follows a similar Wallacedene fire earlier in July that left multiple families homeless and claimed the life of a young girl, raising urgent questions about fire safety in vulnerable communities during winter.
While the exact cause remains under police investigation, preliminary reports suggest the strong winds may have played a role in both this week’s tragedy and the earlier Wallacedene blaze.
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Picture: Getty Images
