Five children die in Ikageng shack fire less than two weeks after twin tragedy

What happened

North West police said officers responded to reports of a shack fire shortly before midnight on 19 July 2026. On arrival they found the structure completely destroyed by flames and discovered the bodies of five children inside. Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) attended and certified all five children dead.

Family details and circumstances

Police said the children had allegedly been left home alone by their mothers, who are sisters, while the women visited a nearby location. Three of the children, aged one, seven and nine, belonged to one sister; the other two victims, aged one and eight, were the children of the second sister.

Community response and firefighting challenges

Community members alerted the women after noticing the fire. They returned and, together with neighbours, attempted to extinguish the flames using buckets of water. Police said that access challenges within the informal settlement severely hampered firefighting efforts.

“They rushed back to the scene and, together with members of the community, attempted to extinguish the flames using buckets of water. Due to access challenges within the informal settlement, firefighting efforts were severely hampered,” Police spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh said.

Investigation and safety warnings

Police have opened an inquest docket and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire. “The exact cause of the fire has not yet been established and Police, together with relevant role players, will continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident,” Myburgh said.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of North West, Major General (Dr) Ryno Naidoo, issued a warning to parents and caregivers:

“Children should never be left home alone,” Naidoo said.

Police also renewed calls for residents to take fire-prevention precautions in informal settlements, including ensuring that candles, paraffin stoves and other open flames are never left unattended. They urged residents to ensure adequate ventilation when making fires indoors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation and encouraged families to develop emergency escape plans.

Earlier fatal fire in Ikageng

The tragedy comes less than two weeks after another fatal shack fire in Ikageng’s Hashtag informal settlement on 6 July 2026, when police discovered the charred remains of four-month-old twin boys in the debris of a burnt shack.