The father of three of the five children who perished in a shack fire in Itireleng informal settlement near Laudium in Pretoria, says he could not recognise his children when he arrived at the scene.
Five children between the ages of one and seven were burnt beyond recognition early on Sunday after their mothers left them unattended overnight. It is alleged that the two sisters went out drinking at a nearby tavern.
The shack is amongst many being rented out in the yard. Other tenants managed to escape the fire but the children were left behind as there were no screams heard from their shack. The father of three of the five children, Johannes Maswanganyi says he rushed to the scene after being woken up in the early hours of the morning, but he was unfortunately late.
“I feel guilty about my kids passing. They left me asleep saying they are visiting their sister, only to wake me up in the early hours of the morning. They came and said they would come back but they never came back to the house. When I came here, I could not even recognize my children,” explains Maswanganyi.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile visited the area on Monday. Maile says Itireleng informal settlement should be relocated as the area is dolomitic and uninhabitable.
Source: eNCA
