Eight-year-old boy dies in Roodepoort house fire

An eight-year-old boy died in a fire at a home in Florida‚ Roodepoort‚ on Sunday.

"ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene to find that a fire had broken out in one of the flats. Several people had already evacuated and were crowded on the pavement‚" spokesman Russel Meiring said on Sunday.

Seven of those found outside the burning premises were treated for mild smoke inhalation. They did not want to go to hospital.

"Once the fire services had extinguished the blaze‚ the body of an eight-year-old boy was found. Unfortunately the boy had already succumbed to his injuries. Nothing could be done for him and he was declared dead‚" said Meiring.

It was not immediately clear what had sparked the blaze.