Two sets of twins aged eight and 13 died when a blaze destroyed their shack at the Marikana informal settlement in Mpumalanga early on Monday morning.
The police in the province have since opened an inquest docket, said police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, noting that the circumstances that led to the fire are being investigated.
“According to the information at our disposal, the police were called to the scene where a shack was on fire. On arrival, they indeed found that it was true and the firefighters were called to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately two sets of twins [two boys and two girls] were certified dead [after the fire had been extinguished],” said Mohlala.
The illegal connection of electricity in the informal settlement is suspected to have started the fire after loose power cables were spotted from the ground. It is further alleged that a 33-year-old mother of the deceased had left them in the care of their 17-year-old brother three days ago.
“When the fire broke out, the brother tried to save the lives of his siblings but couldn’t as the fire was already at an advanced stage. The mother and the 17-year-old boy have been taken to the hospital in Middelburg as they are in a state of shock,” said Mohlala.
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