A 20-month-old baby boy burnt to death on Monday morning when his mother’s shack caught fire in Orlando West, Soweto, police said.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Richard Munyai said the 20-year-old mother was outside doing her laundry when the fire started.
”She had left the baby’s porridge on the stove and had locked the shack. She was alerted by the neighbours that her shack was on fire and by the time they kicked down the door, it was too late.
”The baby was dead already. It seemed in her panic, the mother could not even remember where she put the keys,” said Munyai.
She said the mother was rushed to Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital, where she is receiving trauma counselling.
Munyai said police believe the fire started when papers next to a two-plate stove on a table caught fire. The flames spread, and the entire shack burned down.
He said the neighbouring shack also caught fire, but that fire was put out before much harm was done. — Sapa