Two people died a terrible death when a hungry and raging fire devoured them.

The incident happened at Ha Mutsha-Tshiluvhi on Sunday evening, when a child, Unarine (one and half years old) and his father, Jonathan Raidimi (32), were reduced to ashes. It is still unclear at this stage how the fire started because an eye witness, Thivhadini Netshitungulu (25), who happens to be the deceased’s wife, is still nursing serious burn wounds at a local hospital.

Insp Ntshengedzeni Makondelela of the Levubu Police said the fire is alleged to have been started at around 22:00. It is alleged that the woman confided to neigbours before being taken to hospital that she had seen her husband pouring something on the bed before lighting a cigarette, which started the fire. The woman is said to have awoken from her deep sleep and noticed her husband holding a container which contained what she believed to be a flammable fluid. She allegedly cried for help, after which neighbours came and summoned help.

Neighbours said they were very surprised by the incident as they never heard any argument before the fire. Walter Sinthumule said he was asleep at about 22:00, when he heard screams. "I thought the screams were from afar and it never crossed my mind that it was just at my doorstep," he said. He said he went outside and was surprised to see a big flame at the house of his neighbour.

"I ran straight to the family, thinking that I could do something to help them salvage anything that they could from the house," he said. He found a naked and helpless woman crying for help. "I asked what was happening and she said her husband and child were trapped in the house, but it was too late. The whole house was engulfed in flames and I could not take chances," he said.

He added that he ran to the clinic, where the police and the fire brigade were summoned. "It was a terrifying experience and will take a long time to disappear from my mind," he said. Another close neighbour of the family, Ms Virginia Madima, said she woke up after hearing some explosions and screams that sounded like a woman in pain, and on going out, was met by raging flames from her neighbour’s house.

"I rushed to the house, only to find that it was completely gutted by fire. I looked for family members and I only managed to locate the woman who was leaning against a table, badly burnt," she said. She said the woman told her that she woke from her sleep only to see her husband pouring something on the bed and after some seconds the whole house was in flames. She said she had tried to help but could not do anything as it was risky to venture into the raging flames.

It is alleged that the couple had no friends as they were always together. "We knew them as quiet people, who kept everything to themselves. What happened left us in a state of shock," said one community member, who chose to remain anonymous.

The spokesperson for the Levubu police, Insp Ntshengedzeni Makondelela, confirmed that an inquest docket has been opened, but investigations are continuing.