A house fire has occurred in the early hours of Wednesday 10, November killing five family members including a six-year-old boy. A 45-year-old and 3-year-old were lucky enough to escape the inferno but have been sent to the Pretoria West Hospital for proper treatment.

According to the Tshwane Emergency Services, Charles Mabaso, firefighters were sent to the scene at 01:30 am.

“The first arriving firefighting unit to arrive on the scene found the house fully engulfed by fire, with parts of the roof having collapsed and were informed by bystanders that about 5 people are still trapped inside the house,” Mabaso says.

A 45-year-old woman and a 3-year-old boy managed to escape the blaze, but have been sent to Pretoria West Hospital to be treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation.

“2 deceased bodies were shortly discovered after firefighters started with firefighting and the rest of the deceased bodies were recovered as firefighters progressed with firefighting and during damping/cooling down operations and after the fire was extinguished”

Tshwane Emergency Services’ spokesperson Charles Mabaso

Other victims of the fire are a 46-year-old woman – and three men, aged between 18 and 24. The cause of the blaze is not yet clear and an investigation is underway.