Two charred bodies were discovered following a fire that broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Alberton, east of Johannesburg.
City of Ekurhuleni Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson Tikkie MacDonald said firefighters were dispatched after receiving reports of a structural fire. On arrival, crews found two residential units ablaze a ground-floor flat and the unit directly above it.
“Firefighters found two units involved in the fire: the bottom flat and the flat directly above it. They acted swiftly to extinguish the blaze, successfully preventing it from spreading to surrounding residential units,” MacDonald said.
During search and overhaul operations, firefighters made the grim discovery of two charred bodies inside a two-bedroom apartment in the ground-floor unit. The occupants were declared dead at the scene by Gauteng Emergency Medical Services personnel from Germiston.
MacDonald added that a note was reportedly found on a kitchen table, raising the possibility that the incident may be linked to a case of suicide. Police are investigating the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the deaths.