The cause of the fire is undetermined and remains a subject of investigation.
Four people including three children have been killed in shack fire in Ekurhuleni, on the East Rand. Picture: Ekurhuleni Emergency Services.
Four people, including three children, have been killed in a shack fire in Ekurhuleni, on the East Rand.
The tragedy comes after multiple shacks caught alight in Marathon Informal Settlement, Germiston, on Thursday, 8 October 2026.
Children
Three minors, aged two, five and seven, and the fourth being an adult of unknown age, lost their lives in the blaze.
Ekurhuleni Emergency Services spokesperson William Ntladi said firefighters from Primrose, Bedfordview and Edenvale fire stations responded to the multiple-shack fire incident after receiving the call around 8:37pm.
Shack fire
Ntladi said primary responding crews from Primrose arrived first on scene, followed by Bedfordview and Edenvale.
“On arrival, it was found that community members were desperately battling the blaze using a bucket brigade system to prevent fire spread to neighbouring structures. Scene assessment was conducted, and defensively, exposure protection was initiated; flames were then extinguished using two attack hose-lines.
“Following information received on scene, there were people believed to have been trapped inside one of the twelve shacks destroyed by the blaze. On search, rescue and recovery, four charred bodies were found under the burnt rubble. All four were declared dead on scene by paramedics,” Ntladi said.
Cause of fire
Ntladi added that the scene was officially handed over to South African Police Service (Saps) officers who commenced with their scene investigations, rehabilitation and removal of the deceased to an appropriate pathological facility in Germiston.
The cause of the fire is undetermined and remains under investigation.
Kruger fire
Last week, a fire broke out at the Letaba Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park, damaging two tourist accommodation units.
Camp staff and rangers quickly contained the blaze before it could spread, and no injuries or fatalities were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, while all other camp facilities continued operating normally
