South Africa: One Dead, Two Others Rushed To Hospital After Fire Outbreak

A woman has died at Drieziek near Orange Farm, South Africa in the early hours of Saturday when her house was engulfed in flames after she left her stove on.

According to repoelrts, two others, including a toddler, were rushed to hospital.

The deceased fell asleep after turning on a two-plate stove to warm herself, according to the City of Joburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) who responded to the structural fire.

The woman died at the scene as a result of smoke inhalation, while another adult and toddler were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

"Preliminary investigations conducted by Fire Safety officers confirmed the two plate stove as the cause of the fire," said City of Joburg EMS Spokesperson Nana Radebe-Kgiba. 

Residents in South Africa have been urged to use heating appliances correctly and to never leave heaters and stoves unattended, including ensuring that all appliances are properly turned off, ahead of the winter season.

“During this season, Emergency Management Services records an increase in house fires and a high number of deaths caused by incorrect use of heating appliances,” Radebe-Kgiba stated further.