Man fatally burns in Selebi-Phikwe house fire
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday September 15, 2026 11:17
Selebi-Phikwe Police Station commander, Superintendent Moathodi Makumula, said police received the report at around 11:30am from the deceased’s neighbour.
He said the neighbour told a police response team that he had seen the late 58-year-old fetching water from an outside tap at around 11am. “According to the neighbour, at around 11:30am he saw smoke coming from the deceased’s house,” Makumula explained when confirming the incident.
“When he went to check, he found the house engulfed in flames and reported the matter to the police.”
Makumula said by the time police arrived at the scene, the house and its contents had been destroyed by the fire, with the deceased found inside.
Preliminary information suggests that the deceased, who is reportedly known to have epilepsy, may have suffered a seizure whilst cooking, causing him to accidentally kick the gas stove.
It is suspected that the stove may have ignited a nearby curtain, resulting in the fire spreading rapidly and engulfing the entire house.
Makumula revealed the deceased was using gas to cook and had a gas cylinder inside the house.
Police are continuing with investigations to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the fire and the man’s death.