Two young friends playing in the road were injured when an electric transformer exploded in Scottsville.
Clayton Balie, five, and Jorden Bosch, eight, landed up in hospital with burn wounds on their faces, back and hands.
The incident, which happened in Greymaur Street on Monday around 3pm, has left the Peerless Park West community shocked.
The residents claim that this is the sixth time that there has been a problem with the transformer.
Eyewitness Alan Simms, 33, says: “The kids were playing in the street when the faulty box exploded.
“There were flames coming out of the big box, I saw the kids lying next to the transformer.
“Jorden’s clothes melted into his skin. Clayton’s jacket was badly burnt and stuck to his back.”
Alan adds that Jorden still had his Petunia Primary School uniform on.
“Their faces were badly burnt and black from the explosion and also their backs and hands have been injured.
“A community member drove them to the hospital.”
Residents managed to extinguish the flames with sand.
Jorden’s angry father John Bosch says he was at work when he received the news.
“At first I thought it was a shooting incident, but they told me that a box exploded and that my child was hurt,” he says.
“I don’t know who but someone will have to take blame for what happened to my son.”
Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for Fire and Rescue Services, says they were alerted about the explosion.
“The fire crew from Brackenfell were dispatched and when they arrived on scene, across from number 52 Gourmand Street, the fire had been extinguished with sand by bystanders.
“According to the officer on scene, two minors that sustained burn wounds to the face and arms, were taken to hospital prior to their arrival.
“At approximately 4.23pm, the Electricity Department arrived on scene and assistance from Metro Police was requested as the area became volatile.”
The City of Cape Town says the reason behind the fire is still being investigated but it appears vandals might be behind it.