An early-morning fire that claimed the lives of multiple children in Shaka’s Head near Ballito was reported to have perhaps been caused by an electrical fault.

Five children between the ages of one and 19 tragically died in an informal settlement fire in the early hours of this morning in Shaka’s Head near Ballito, KZN.

The two parents and a two-year-old managed to escape with their lives, reports The North Coast Courier.

Human Settlements spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said the fire broke out at about 5:00 and, upon arrival, emergency teams found the structure engulfed in flames.

Sibiya said the children’s mother, Ntombovuyo Menemene, managed to escape the blaze, rescuing a two-year-old child in the process.

Both were taken to the hospital for further care, while the father, Sivuyile Noyila, escaped with minor injuries.

Meanwhile, at about 7:30, Marshall Security received a distress call reporting a fire ‘escalating to something far bigger than they could handle’.

“A Marshall security guard stationed at a nearby estate on the outskirts of Ballito received a report from a ward councillor stating that urgent assistance was needed due to a fire at an informal settlement,” said Marshall Security spokesperson Andreas Mathios.

“Members of SAPS and KwaDukuza Fire Services responded to the scene and attended to the blaze,” said Mathios.

Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, expressed his condolences to the family and assigned a team to join the KwaDukuza municipality in assisting the family. They are currently liaising with the surviving father, who will receive the necessary trauma counselling.

Duma expressed his condolences to the family.

A SAPS forensic team has taken the remains of the five deceased children for further investigation. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. However, it is understood that it may have been caused by an electrical fault.

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