Three-year-old boy killed in Cape Town house fire

A three-year-old boy died in the early hours of Wednesday morning after his house caught alight in Nomzamo near Strand, said the Cape Town fire and rescue services.

Spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the first firefighters arrived at the house in Sithunzi Street around 4.40am and found the boy unresponsive.

They commenced CPR, but to no avail, and the boy was declared dead.

They managed to extinguish the fire at 5.27am.

Nomzamo councillor Sitembile Mfecane, who visited the family afterwards, told News24 the fire may have been started by a candle.

“During the night, the electricity went off because they didn’t have enough. One of the boys of the house asked the grandmother to buy electricity, but she said she would in the morning and said he must sleep,” he explained.

The 12-year-old boy apparently then lit a candle, he said.

“When the fire started, the family tried to help and break the windows, but they were too late. The father is devastated.”

He said the grandmother had burnt her hands while touching the windows and the older boy had smoke inhalation.

“They cannot use that house because of the damage, so I don’t know what they will do.”

Carelse said a chaplain had been asked to assist the family and the scene had been handed over to Lwandle police.

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