Johannesburg - Two women have been arrested and charged with child neglect after four children died in a shack fire while they were allegedly out drinking at a shebeen.
One child died at the scene while the other three died in hospital later in the afternoon.
Alexandra Police Station spokesperson Captain Stephen Malatjie said the women left their children, whose ages ranged from three to six years old, with a 14-year-old boy. He said the boy is the son to one of the women.
The Star understands that the 14-year-old was the one who called the police when the fire broke out around 5 am on Sunday but was not injured in the blaze. Malatji He said community members helped to extinguish the fire before firefighters arrived.
Malatjie said the parents of the children were found in the local shebeen and later arrested. The women, aged between 29 and 30, were to appear at the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
@SthembisoMedia