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A 48-year-old Mpumalanga woman and her three sons, aged five, nine, and 15, have died as a fire engulfed their shack in Embalenhle Extension 18.
Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, said the horrific incident happened on Friday night, at around 8pm.
“Police attended to the call, and firefighters managed to put out the fire blazes. From the crowd, somebody approached police and informed them that he is the owner of the house, and he had just arrived from work when he was greeted with the ordeal,” Mdhluli said.
The man was the deceased woman’s husband and father of the three boys who perished in the blaze.
“He managed to furnish police with the names of the victims even though he had no idea of what might have transpired. Thus far, the preliminary investigation revealed that the family used a petrol generator to keep the lights on.”
Police said the investigation is ongoing but the cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet.
The incident is being investigated.
Meanwhile, the provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, said she is “disheartened” by the incident.
She called on families to use the different sources of energy cautiously, especially with the cold weather conditions being experienced and the load shedding across the country.
Earlier this month, a 33-year-old man, Bheki Tibane, was arrested in Mpumalanga after he allegedly set his family home on fire, leaving his sister destitute.
At the time, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said Tibane destroyed the fully furnished modern luxury home which was left behind by their deceased parents.
“A 36-year-old lady was left devastated trying to figure out what her next move will be after the hard-earned family house was allegedly set alight by her younger brother on Wednesday, 3 May 2023, at about 11pm,” said Mohlala.
“A 33-year-old Bheki Tibane left his 36-year-old sister homeless, with only walls, broken windows and ashes which serve as memories to what was the fully furnished mansion left behind by their late parents.”
IOL
