Two fires claimed the lives of an entire family and one man in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the youngest victim only two years old.
Firefighters first responded to a fire in Xhangala Street, Lower Cross Roads in Philippi East where an entire family of six burnt to death.
The hokkie, which was occupied by two adults and four children, was gutted and on Wednesday the charred remains of the family lay covered among the rubble in the early morning mist.
The 35-year-old parents and four children aged two, four, six and nine lay beside each other, still looking as if they were asleep.
Residents at the scene say they tried to help the family when they saw the towering flames but the shack was locked from the inside and they couldn’t break down the door.
REMAINS: The cause of fire is yet be established. Photo: Leon Knipe
They could also not put out the fire that was too big to contain by then.
The identities of the family was being withheld until their next of kin was informed.
The City’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Theo Layne, says the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
“Fire fighters responded to Xhangala Street, Lower Cross Roads in Philippi East and found one adult male, one adult female and four minors sustained fatal burns,” Layne said.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Leon Fortuin, confirms that six family members perished in the fire and says an inquest docket has been opened for investigation.
RECOVERY: Residents tried to save the family. Photo: Leon Knipe
He says the incident occurred about 5.30am.
“According to reports police were called to the scene and upon their arrival they found six family members, a two-year-old girl,
four-, six-, nine-year-old boys and both parents are 35 years old. The cause of fire is yet to be established. An inquest docket has been opened for investigation,” Fortuin said.
In a separate incident, 13 people were left homeless and one unidentified man died when five informal structures burnt down.
Layne said the cause of the fire was electrical.
“At 4.58am in Phola Park Informal Settlement in Gugulethu, five structures were destroyed by fire, leaving 13 persons displaced. One adult male sustained fatal burns. The cause of the fire is an electrical short circuit,” Layne said.