A 31-year-old mother and her two children were killed in a shack fire early on Friday morning.
Police said it happened at Klarinet Extension 3 in eMahlaleni, Mpumalanga.
“The mother could have left a two-plate stove on, and it is suspected that the family might have been using the stove to warm themselves up as it was cold,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala.
“Further allegations [are] that the mother fell asleep while the stove was still on. The shack caught fire and [was] engulfed in flames with the mother and the two minors.”
The mother and her children aged four and five were declared dead on the scene.
Mpumalanga police are investigating.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has urged people to avoid unsafe methods of getting warm during these extreme cold conditions exacerbated by load shedding experienced throughout the country.
Manamela said: “The incident is regrettable. Though we understand the situation we find ourselves in, we still caution the public to always consider safety first whenever they attempt to warm themselves from the chilling conditions.”