Two minors were on Wednesday found burnt beyond recognition at Florence Nightingale Flats in Hillbrow, north of Johannesburg.
A fire had started on the first floor of the building on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS), when the firefighters section arrived, the fire had escalated to the second floor.
EMS spokesperson Xolile Khumalo said the minors are suspected to be between the ages of seven and five.
“The fire started on the first floor, where two rooms caught fire and escalated to the following floor. Upon arrival, the fire crew discovered two minors were burnt beyond recognition. It is understood that the children were left alone in the locked apartment,” said Khumalo.
EMS urged the residents to be extra cautious when using candles, various lighting sources and electrical appliances.
“The EMS Winter Safety campaign is currently underway and we are saying electrical appliances are to be switched off during loadshedding to avoid fire incidents. We also urge residents to not leave these lighting sources, and appliances unattended.
No other injuries were reported and the South African Police Services attended to the scene to conduct further investigations on the fire incident as the cause of the fire was not established.
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