Three children among four killed in Germiston fire
Firefighters responded to a blaze that destroyed 12 shacks at Marathon informal settlement on October 8.
Four people, including three children, died when a fire destroyed 12 shacks at the Marathon informal settlement in Germiston on the evening of October 8.
Emergency services were alerted at approximately 20:37. Firefighters from the Primrose Fire Station arrived first, followed shortly by crews from Bedfordview and Edenvale.
Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) spokesperson William Ntladi said that, upon arrival, firefighters found community members desperately trying to contain the inferno with a bucket brigade to protect neighbouring structures.
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“Emergency personnel immediately initiated defensive operations and exposure protection, deploying two attack hose lines to bring the fire under control,” said Ntladi.
“Following reports from residents that occupants were trapped inside one of the structures, search and rescue operations were conducted under the burnt rubble, leading to the recovery of the four victims,” he added.
The scene was subsequently handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for formal site investigation and the removal of the deceased to a local pathological facility in Germiston.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined and is currently under investigation by law enforcement officials.
