Byline: Andani Matumba
08 July 2022
Two children, a four year boy and his five year old sister were badly burnt to death along with their 31 year old mother in the early hours of Friday, 08 July 2022 around 00h30 am at Klarinet Extention 3 in Witbank.
This follows after a similar incident took place last week Monday, 04 July 2022 in Hendrina.
According to a statement issued today by the office of the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, the mother was with her son and daughter in their shack when the incident took place.
It is alleged that the Father (35) had left for shopping and that the mother could have left the two plate stove on as it is suspected that the family might have been using the stove to warm themselves up at night.
Further allegation are that the mother fell asleep whilst the stove was still on causing the shack fire and engulfing in flames with the mother and her two children inside.
Sadly, the three could not be saved and certified dead on the scene.
Police at Witbank are investigating three counts of inquest following the incident.
Police in the Mpumalanga Province are so much concerned about these heartbreaking incidents in which children are killed as a result of fire.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has sent a message of condolences to the family and further urged members of the public to avoid unsafe methods of getting warm during this extreme cold conditions which is exacerbated by load shedding experienced throughout the country.
” The incident is regrettable. Though we understand the situation that we find ourselves in but we still cautioned the public to always consider safety first whenever they attempts to warm themselves from the chilling conditions” urged the General.
