The Kleinvlei community was devastated when a family of five, including two children, were killed in a fire on Wednesday morning.
Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said the police were investigating after a husband, wife, two sons and a grandchild were found burnt beyond recognition at a premises in Melton Rose.
“The cause of the fire is unknown,” he said.
According to City Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse, three other people who were affected by the fire were transported to a nearby hospital for smoke inhalation and burn wound treatment.
Carelse said they were alerted to dwellings alight in Belladonna Street at about 1am.
Crews from Mfuleni, Kuilsriver, Strand and Belhar responded to the scene and found a house and informal dwellings burning.
“The bodies of three adults, two males and one female, and two minors a male and female, were found with fatal burn wounds and declared deceased on scene. A further three persons, one adult and two minors, were transported to a nearby hospital for smoke inhalation and burn wounds. The cause of this fire is unknown and the scene was handed over to the South African Police Service,” said Carelse.
He said fire service rescue teams managed to extinguish the blaze just after 2.10am. The house was partially damaged and three informal structures were burned to the ground.
Last week two people lost their lives when a fire engulfed informal structures in SST Section in Khayelitsha, and three people, including a 6-year-old girl, died in a fire at Phola Park informal settlement in Philippi East.
The Phola Park fire left about 14 people destitute.
Cape Times