Orphanage blaze in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Blaze raged through an orphanage in South Africa on Tuesday killing 15 people, including as a minimum 8 children, police said. 9 people were wounded in the blaze at Newcastle in the eastern region of KwaZulu-Natal, a police spokesman told. "Police were called to the sight at 6:00am (0400GMT) and the house was still on fire," spokesman Jay Naicker said.

"Police helped the fire section to put out the fire but it was too late, the house burnt down. 9 people have been taken to the hospital with burn injured."The reason of the fire was not immediately known, he added.

Authorities could not say how many persons were living at the Hope in Christ Home orphanage as most papers burned in the blaze. A spokesman for the provincial social development department Mandla Ngema said survivors would accept counselling from social workers.

SAPA news agency said the person in charge of the home and her 4 offspring were burnt to death and 8 other children's bodies were found. Two other adult bodies were also found.It was believed the dead children were aged between 2 and 15.

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