Children die as family café catches alight
Officials say the identities of the victims are being withheld until their family members have been officially informed of the deaths.
File image for illustrative purposes: iStock
Five people have been killed in a fire in Dutywa in the Eastern Cape.
Police spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha confirmed that the five victims were sleeping inside a family café in Mputhi Village when the fire broke out around 04:00 on Saturday morning.
Four of the victims were related and included an 18-year-old woman and three children – aged 14, seven and three. The fifth victim, another 18-year-old woman, is believed to have been a family friend.
The identities of the victims are being withheld until their family members have been officially informed of the deaths.
An inquest docket has been opened for further investigation by the Dutywa Police detectives.
“The cause of the fire has not yet been established at this point in time. The provincial commissioner [Liziwe Ntshinga] has sent her condolences to both families who lost their beloved children. She has instructed Dutywa Police to properly investigate the case and leave no stone unturned,” says Manatha.
– News24 Wire
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