Five people were killed whilst two others managed to escape with minor injuries after a fire broke out at a house in Pretoria West on Wednesday, 10 November 2021.

The City of Tshwane emergency services confirmed that firefighting units were dispatched in the early hours of this morning after receiving a call about a house fire that had broken out in Pretoria West.

“The first arriving fire fighting unit to arrive on the scene found the house fully engulfed by fire, with parts of the roof having collapsed and were informed by bystanders that about 5 people are still trapped inside the house. The information was confirmed by the female patient who escaped the blaze with a minor scratch on the forehead and smoke inhalation. She and the child were treated for smoke inhalation and transported to Pretoria West Hospital for further observation,” the emergency services confirmed.

“Two (2) deceased bodies were shortly discovered after firefighters started with firefighting and the rest of the deceased bodies were recovered as fire fighters progressed with fire fighting and during damping/cooling down operations and after the fire was extinguished. The five (5) deceased included, 4 males aged 6, 18, 22 and 24 years and a female aged 46 years,” the emergency services added.

The City’s emergency services department further stated that the cause of the fire is still subject to investigation by fire safety officers and law enforcement agencies.