Overview
- City emergency officials said two four-year-old twins died from smoke inhalation after a shack fire in the Zamimpilo settlement in west Johannesburg on Tuesday.
- SABC reported that the blaze destroyed about eight shacks and that a 42-year-old man who tried to rescue the children was taken to hospital.
- Authorities said the cause is still under investigation, while residents alleged a police and military raid led people to flee and leave a cooking stove unattended.
- Councilor Msimelelo Lobi said disaster teams are arranging shelter for eight affected families and appealed for donations of clothes and blankets.
- Officials urged careful use of heaters, paraffin stoves and braziers during the cold snap, citing 743 child burn admissions in 2024–2025 and 116 between January and April 2026.