By Kaya 959 Reporter
Two KwaZulu-Natal siblings burnt to death when a fire broke out in the car they were playing in.
It is alleged that a five-year-old Melokuhle and her seven-year-old sister, Hlelolwenkosi Madiya, were inside a stationary vehicle in the yard when the fire began.
The two live with their family at the Nqabeni village, in Harding, in southern KZN.
It is unclear what caused the fire at this stage.
Officials say attempts to rescue the children from the raging inferno were not successful as the doors could not open.
Provincial MEC for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Khoza, has expressed her heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased children.
“We are with the bereaved family during this difficult time. It is heartbreaking to learn how these children died. They were unable to escape from the blaze,” she said.
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Family receives trauma counselling
Khoza has dispatched a team of social workers to render psycho-social support and other assistance to the family.
“Our social workers will render ongoing trauma and bereavement counselling to the family. Our team will also provide the Social Relief of Distress to assist the family during this tough time,” says MEC Khoza.
She adds that it is important for families to ensure that children always play under the supervision of adults.
“We have seen a number of vulnerable children die so horribly in the province. We want to plead with our communities to ensure that they don’t keep these old vehicles in their yards to avoid these recurring incidents,” she says.
MEC Khoza says the matter has been handed over to the local police for further investigation.
“We hope the police will be able to shed light with on what caused the fire that claimed the lives of these innocent children. This is a very painful incident to deal with and we will do whatever we can to ensure that the family and all those affected find closure,” Khoza says.
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