Two brothers from Mamelodi West lost everything after their house was destroyed in a suspected petrol bomb attack.

The incident occurred in Mamelodi West section C3 at around 06:30 on Tuesday morning. The men managed to wake up before the fire could spread and escaped uninjured.

One of the brothers, Thabang Mabaso, says if it were not for the schoolchildren who screamed for help after they saw smoke coming out of the house, they would not have made it.

“We could have been trapped in the house and died,” says Mabaso.

Schoolchildren passing by the house saw the fire and raised the alarm. Neighbours came out and started putting out the fire, Mabaso says.

“We are still in shock and we are now living in fear because we don’t know who it was that attacked us or why,” says Mabaso.

Mabaso recalls waking up at 06:30 hearing glass breaking but chose to ignore it.

“The second sound of broken glass I went to investigate only to find huge flames right at my bedroom door,” says Mabaso.

The dining and sitting rooms were already burning and the fire was spreading to the bedrooms.

“The bedroom doors were starting to catch fire, but luckily community members and neighbours were already fighting the fire with water buckets and soil,” he says.

Mabaso says a nine-year-old child lives with them in the house, but luckily, he was not there when the fire started.

It took about 15 to 20 minutes to put out the fire.

“We lost all the furniture in the sitting and dining rooms; the ceiling is damaged and the house needs electrical rewiring.”

The brothers are currently staying with family members.

Mamelodi police had yet to provide comment by the time of publication.