Devastating fire claims lives of 5 siblings hugging each other in death

The charred bodies of five of the Maswanganye children – three boys and two girls – were found hugging each other in death after the shack they were left in alone went up in flames on Sunday.

The boys were aged two, four and six and the girls 17 months and seven years.

Yesterday, community members stood in groups around the burned-down shacks following the tragedy that claimed the five children from the same family in Itireleng informal settlement near Laudium.

The mother of three children visited the grandmother’s house where her sister’s two children resided.

Shakeel Bhaktawer from the ward councillor’s office said police were investigating the cause of the fire.

“Two female adults were arrested: the grandmother and the mother of the three children,” he said.

According to witnesses, they around 4am smelled smoke coming from one of the shacks and heard a loud bang.

“A man screamed for help and fortunately someone managed to break open the shack and got him out.

“By the time they got out, the shack where the five children slept was engulfed in major flames,” Bhaktawer said.

The door to the shack where the children were sleeping was allegedly chained with a lock.

“There was no way to break in. If you look at this area, it’s difficult for emergency vehicles to get in here,” he said.

Bhaktawer said when he arrived at the scene, the remains of the children were found on the burned-out mattress where they were sleeping.

“The charred bodies looked like they were clinging to each other,” he said.

Laudium Community Policing Forum (CPF) chair Shahwen Wahab said these incidents were common.

“We’ve seen it in an informal settlement in Ekurhuleni where it happens on a weekly basis that children are left unattended. The tragedy on a Sunday is an eye-opener to everybody,” Wahab said.

Lebogang Maile, Gauteng MEC for human settlements and infrastructure development, visited the scene yesterday.

“It is clear there were many social ills affecting this community.

“The informal settlement was not only inhabitable but illegal taverns or shebeens in informal settlements were a big problem because they also contributed toward crime.

“People are not supposed to be staying here because it’s a dolomitic area.”

Maile said the informal settlement had to be relocated because it was inhabitable.

“The solution is to formalise

but since 2016, there has been an increase in informal settlements, especially in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.

“It becomes an issue of illegal invasion. Some of the municipalities don’t have the capacity or the resources to prevent the mushrooming of more informal settlements,” he said.

Community leader Maria Monama said the tragedy was difficult for the community to accept.