Nine people, including five children, died in a shack fire in Khayelitsha on the Cape Peninsula on Wednesday, police said.
Lingelethu West station commander Colonel Mike Reitz said police were alerted to the blaze in the early hours of the morning.
When they arrived on the scene they found the tin-and-wood dwelling enveloped in flames.
"Police members and neighbours however tried to gain entrance to the house but the flames were overpowering them at the time," he said.
"The fire brigade also tried their utmost to contain the fire but only managed to do just that after the three-roomed house had been destroyed inside."
Reitz said the victims were found among the ashes inside.
They were two sisters, aged 30 and 25, their male friends, aged 38 and 33, and five children.
The children were three boys aged 4, 5 and 7, and two girls aged six months and 3 years.
The cause of the fire was unknown at this stage but would be investigated.
No other structures were damaged by the fire. - Sapa
Lingelethu West station commander Colonel Mike Reitz said police were alerted to the blaze in the early hours of the morning.
When they arrived on the scene they found the tin-and-wood dwelling enveloped in flames.
"Police members and neighbours however tried to gain entrance to the house but the flames were overpowering them at the time," he said.
"The fire brigade also tried their utmost to contain the fire but only managed to do just that after the three-roomed house had been destroyed inside."
Reitz said the victims were found among the ashes inside.
They were two sisters, aged 30 and 25, their male friends, aged 38 and 33, and five children.
The children were three boys aged 4, 5 and 7, and two girls aged six months and 3 years.
The cause of the fire was unknown at this stage but would be investigated.
No other structures were damaged by the fire. - Sapa
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