Two children killed in Kariega shack fire as father injured trying to rescue them

Two young children died in a shack fire in Kariega.

Two Eastern Cape children died in a shack fire in Greenfields, Kariega, after their father reportedly left them at home to visit a nearby shop.

The children’s father sustained burn injuries while attempting to rescue them from the burning structure on Thursday afternoon.

Police have opened an inquest into the deaths, with the cause of the fire still under investigation.

The fire broke out at a residence in Hlubi Street at about 5.41 pm on November 5.

According to police, emergency services arrived to find firefighters already at the scene, battling a blaze that had engulfed the shack.

Once the fire had been extinguished, the bodies of the two children were found in the remains of the structure.

Their identities have not yet been released. Police said these would be confirmed through forensic processes, including DNA analysis.

Preliminary information indicates that the father had left the children at home while he went to a nearby shop.

The father allegedly left the younger child asleep and the older child watching television.

He reportedly told investigators that he had locked the shack before leaving.

He was later alerted to the fire and rushed back to the scene, where he attempted to enter the burning structure to save the children.

However, the intensity of the flames prevented him from reaching them.

He sustained burn injuries to his arms and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The circumstances surrounding the fire remain unclear, and police have not established what caused the blaze.

SAPS Kamesh has opened an inquest docket as investigations continue.

Police have not released further details about the incident.