Eight Dead, Including Toddler, in Shack Fire in South Africa

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

A deadly fire tore through a shack settlement in South Africa’s Ekurhuleni Municipality this past weekend, leaving eight people dead, including a two-year-old child. Emergency responders confirmed the incident on Monday.

According to Maswazi Mdluli, a spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services, the fire occurred early on Monday, around 3 AM, in the Arla Park Extension 3 area of Nigel.

Firefighters arrived to find a four-room shack engulfed in flames, with community members already attempting to put out the fire. After the flames were extinguished, search and recovery efforts began, as concerns grew that more victims might be trapped inside. Two individuals were confirmed dead at the scene by medical personnel.

Mdluli noted that one child, aged eight, survived the fire with minor burns and is receiving treatment in hospital.

This incident is the latest in a series of fires in shack settlements across the municipality. Just days earlier, another fire claimed the lives of six children from the same family, aged 4 to 14.

Residents have expressed frustration, accusing the city’s emergency services of responding too slowly to these deadly blazes, according to South African state broadcaster SABC.

In response, the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) issued a statement urging residents—particularly those in informal housing or high-density areas—to exercise caution while using heating devices due to a current cold front. They also revealed that EMS had responded to three major fires within the past three days.