By: Natasha Archary
A shack fire in Windmill Park, Boksburg has claimed the lives of twin toddler boys.
The brothers, aged 15-months were allegedly left unattended inside their shack while their mother went outside.
A power outage in the area meant families had to rely on candles and outdoor fires to keep warm and to light up their homes.
Firefighters arrived before 20h00 on Thursday night to find community members using buckets of water in an attempt to put out the fire.
Their efforts were in vain as the bodies of the twin toddlers were discovered afterwards. The boys had burned to death.
Further investigations will be done according to SAPS.
Shack fires occur often in South Africa, especially during the winter months when people use candles or paraffin lamps.
Communities are urged not to leave burning candles and lamps unattended and not to leave children inside unsupervised.
In March, 400 shacks were destroyed in a fire that broke out in Pretoria, injuring 4 people.
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