Masemola police open inquest into house fire death
Police in Masemola have opened an inquest after a 77-year-old man died in a house fire at Mahlolaneng village in the Sekhukhune District.
LIMPOPO – Police in Masemola, under the Sekhukhune District, have opened an inquest following the death of a 77-year-old man in a house fire at Mahlolaneng village on May 19.
According to police, officers were called to the scene at about 05:40 after reports that a house was engulfed in flames, with a person believed to be trapped inside.
Preliminary information suggests the deceased had reportedly returned home late on Monday, May 18, after spending time out, and had gone to sleep at his residence.
In the early hours of Tuesday, neighbours noticed smoke and flames coming from the house and alerted community members. Attempts were made to extinguish the fire, however the man could not be rescued. His body was later found inside the burnt structure and was severely burnt.
Police, together with emergency services and other relevant stakeholders, attended the scene.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and forms part of an ongoing police investigation.
The identity of the deceased will be released once formal identification and postmortem processes have been completed.
