A 22-year-old and a 2-year-old child have died following the fire at Nigel in Ekurhuleni in Gauteng. At the same time, an 8-year-old child managed to escape with minor burns and was taken for medical treatment.

A total of eight people have died in fire-related incidents over the weekend in Ekurhuleni.

City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services spokesperson Maswazi Mdluli says the cause of the fire is under investigation.

“At around 3 am this morning, our firefighters responded to a fire incident at Arla Park Extension 3, Nigel. On their arrival, they found a 3+1 roomed shack house fully engulfed in flames, with the community assisting in extinguishing the fire. After the flames were put out, firefighters began search and recovery efforts as there were concerns that there may be casualties trapped inside. The two deceased individuals were pronounced dead at the scene by Gauteng medical services.”