By Everson Luhanga
- The children were trapped in a room while the adult responsible for them was not accounted for.
- A heater is believed to have started the fire that killed the four toddlers.
Four children under the age of two died in a house fire while attending an illegal creche in Mayfair, Johannesburg.
The children were kept in a single room inside a house that had been divided into 15 separate rental rooms. Each room was occupied by a different family.
Parents who leave their children at the creche do so while they go to work, paying someone to care for them during the day. But it is not clear whether the adult who was supposed to be with the children was present when the fire broke out.
Authorities say the fire started in the very room where the toddlers were kept, likely caused by a heating device.
The fire spread to nearby rooms, but firefighters managed to contain it before it destroyed the rest of the building.
City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said the children may have died from smoke inhalation.
He confirmed that EMS responded to the fire just after 11am on Monday.
“After conducting search and rescue operations, the authorities found four bodies of young kids,” said Mulaudzi.
Gauteng EMS paramedics confirmed all four children were already dead when they arrived.
Emergency teams believe a heater that was in use before the fire started may have been the cause. “Our fire investigation team is on site conducting preliminary investigations,” said Mulaudzi.
He also warned residents to be careful when using heaters, especially with extremely cold weather expected from Wednesday, 21 May.
People are urged to report emergencies to the City of Johannesburg’s EMS call centre on 011 375 5911.
Pictured above: City of Johannesburg EMS at a house in Mayfair where four children died after a house caught fire.
Image source: Johannesburg EMS
