Staff Reporter.
Two children, a toddler and a five-year-old, have died in Soweto in the early hours of Thursday morning after an unattended candle led to the room they were sleeping in to catch fire.
Johannesburg emergency spokesperson Nana Hadebe-Kgiba says upon arrival, the firefighters found that the family and community members managed to extinguish the fire in the bedroom.
They then discovered the bodies of the two children.
“An open light has been determined as the cause of the fire when conducting preliminary investigations. It is unfortunate that most of these incidents are caused by open flames and unsafe use of heating appliances.”
Hadebe-Kgiba has urged communities to take necessary precautions when using heating appliances and avoid leaving candles unattended.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.