MFULENI residents in Cape Town are still shocked after a fire killed two boys aged four and 13 months old.
The incident happened yesterday at Bardale informal settlement.
One of the residents, Lingomso Gasela (34), said she was watching television when she saw a cloud of smoke.
“At first I thought there is someone burning rubbish but I heard people screaming. When I went outside the shack was on fire,” said Lingomso.
She said the fire was too powerful and they could not save the kids.
“We tried everything but we failed, we are sad that two kids died inside that fire,” said Lingomso.
Another resident told Daily Sun that when the fire started the kids were alone.
“They are usually left with their dad, while their mother is at work. What I heard was that the father fixes car in front of their shack, and he just went out of the shack to make the food,” said the resident.
He said maybe the father forgot to switch the stove off.
“He is a good father who went to make eggs for his kids, maybe he forgot to switch off the stove because the pan that he used to make eggs was burnt. That is why we think he forgot to switch the stove off.
“It was said that the father tried to get inside to rescue the kids but was stopped by residents.
“He wanted to get inside when there was no way for him to do that, maybe he wanted to also die inside there as he couldn’t believe that his kids have died in that fire,” said the resident.
Jermaine Carelse for the City’s Fire and Rescue services said they received an emergency call of an informal structure alight in Bardale, Mfuleni.
“Our crew was immediately dispatched to this incident, unfortunately, the structure was completely engulfed in flames upon arrival,” said Carelse.
Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said a death inquest case has been opened for investigation after the fire that occurred in Bardale.
“According to reports, two children, both boys aged 13 months and four years old, were fatally wounded in this incident,” said Rwexana.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.
The father of the kids refused to talk to the SunTeam.
