- A fatal shack fire in Bakka informal settlement claimed the lives of a mother and three children early on 11 October 2026 morning
- A GOOD party councillor criticised Drakenstein municipality over a lack of electricity, saying residents had gone without power for 36 years
- Relatives of the deceased alleged that a former boyfriend was seen pouring fuel around the shack before the blaze broke out
Source: Getty Images
WESTERN CAPE — The mother of ten-year-old Winrico Heyns tried in vain to rescue her child as a inferno destroyed a home in Noordkamp's Bakka informal settlement over the weekend. The young boy was visiting Teresa Simmery when the fire broke out, taking four lives in total.
According to TimesLIVE, Keanen Manuel, brother to Simmery, said he was telephoned around 03:00 regarding the inferno. Manuel stated that the young boy died even though his mother tried frantically to rescue him from the burning building. The tragedy additionally claimed 45-year-old Simmery and her two boys, Jayden, 4, alongside Renzo, 6.
Mother attempts rescue during fatal shack fire
Hours before the incident, Simmery's ex-partner reportedly made threats to set her ablaze and was witnessed spreading fuel near the home. GOOD party representative Johan van Schalkwyk mentioned Simmery possessed a court interdict against her ex-partner and had pleaded with law enforcement to keep him incarcerated.
Western Cape police representative Sergeant Wesley Twigg verified Mbekweni SAPS initiated an inquiry following the retrieval of four remains around 02:00. Authorities have yet to verify foul play or attribute responsibility to the former partner. The horrific incident occurred months after five children were killed in a shack fire in Sonderwater in the North West in July.
Source: Getty Images
Twin infants killed in North West fire
In a related article, Briefly News reported on the four-month-old twin boys who died in a shack fire in Ikageng, North West, while their parents survived with burn injuries.
The blaze reduced the family’s home to rubble, and investigators have yet to determine its cause. The tragedy renewed calls from South Africans for proper housing to help prevent similar losses.
Source: Briefly News
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