Bloemfontein Woman and Her 2 Children Die After Candle Burns Shack, SA Hurt

• South Africans mourned the loss of a woman from Bloemfontein in the Free State and her two children
• The woman, who lived in an informal settlement, was asleep in her shack when a fire caused by a candle gutted the shack
• The premier of the Free State announced that the government would cover the expenses for her and her children's funeral

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather and natural disaster-related incidents at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

BLOEMFONTEIN, FREE STATE — The Premier of the Free State Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae said the provincial government would cover the costs of a woman from Bloemfontein who lost her life with her two children in a fire on 21 March 2025.

What happened in Bloemfontein?

SABC News reported that the woman lived in Phase 7 in an informal settlement with her three children. She and her two children were asleep when a fire, purportedly caused by a candle, broke out. Her eldest son had gone to the shops and locked the shack when the fire broke out.

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Premier conveys condolences

Letsoha-Mahae said the incident was traumatic because three members of the same family died. She also said the government would ensure the necessary documents are available, as the fire destroyed everything.

Similar informal settlement fires

• Two children in Vosloorus, Gauteng, died in September 2024 when a fire gutted a shack in an informal settlement and the community unsuccessfully tried to save them.
• Thousands were displaced in Pretoria and Johannesburg in the same month when two fires gutted hundreds of shacks in the two cities.
• An informal settlement which was located on the outskirts of Bryanston in Johannesburg was burned down when a fire rapidly spread through it in December.
• Over 130 residents of the Langa township in Cape Town were left homeless when a fire destroyed eight hostels and 25 shacks

South Africans slam the government

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Netizens commenting on SABC News' Facebook page were heartbroken and slammed the government for poor service delivery.

Richard Maluleke said:

"The government is too slow in delivering safe houses for better living."

Kurauone Chishamba said:

"I blame the government for allowing people to stay in cabins. Deep condolences to the relatives and families of the deceased. It's not easy to handle three coffins at the same time."

Zuleika Zoe Nkhahle said:

"People, let us learn that during loadshedding, put out everything flammable before going to sleep. This is heartbreaking."

Eric Vuso said:

"These load sheddings are still gonna cause more disasters to our communities than we can imagine."

Maphuthi Seruthe Raseruthe said:

"The ANC must pay. they are responsible for loadshedding."

Cape Town family killed in shack fire

In a related article, Briefly News reported that three family members died in a shack fire in Cape Town, Western Cape in February 2024. The family's father left a candle burning during loadshedding while waiting for the electricity to come back.

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When the fire broke out, the family struggled to escape the fire because they had locked themselves in. Other shacks were destroyed and some residents were injured.

Source: Briefly News