Couple arrested after their infant and toddler die in shack fire

A couple aged 23 and 25 was arrested for alleged child neglect after their two children were killed in a shack fire in Petsana informal settlement in the Free State.

Investigations into the matter revealed that the suspect had allegedly informed her boyfriend that the child was theirs, and that the boyfriend had been giving her R2,500 monthly to take care of the child's needs. Stock photo.
Investigations into the matter revealed that the suspect had allegedly informed her boyfriend that the child was theirs, and that the boyfriend had been giving her R2,500 monthly to take care of the child's needs. Stock photo. (123RF/ALLAN SWART)

A couple aged 23 and 25 was arrested for alleged child neglect after their two children were killed in a shack fire in Petsana informal settlement in the Free State.

The cause of the fire shortly before 11pm on Saturday is under investigation, said police spokesperson W/O Mmako Mophiring. 

The seven-month-old girl and 18-month-old boy were allegedly left unsupervised in the shack while their parents went out drinking, Mophiring said. 

A community member alerted them to the fire. They rushed home but it was too late to save the children.

The two are scheduled to appear before the Reitz magistrate’s court on Monday.

TimesLIVE



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