An uncontrollable fire that broke out at a house in Doornkop on the western outskirts of Soweto has claimed the lives of two children.
The fire is said to have started early on Thursday morning.
According to the City of Joburg Emergency Management Services (EMS), firefighters were dispatched to the scene and upon arrival they found that the family and residents had already extinguished the fire in the bedroom where the two bodies were discovered.
EMS spokesperson Nana Radebe-Kgiba said a five-year-old and an 18-month-old baby died when the mattress they were sleeping on caught fire from an unattended candle.
“It is unfortunate that most of these incidents are caused by open flames and unsafe use of heating appliances,” said Radebe-Kgiba.
“An open light has been determined as the cause of fire when conducting preliminary investigations. Emergency Management Services urges communities to take precautions when using heating appliances and avoid leaving candles unattended.”
On Wednesday last week, a similar incident happened at Florence Nightingale Flats in Hillbrow, where two children were found burnt beyond recognition.
EMS revealed at the time that the fire started on the first floor of the building. The children had been left alone in a locked apartment when the fire started.
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