Four children and a woman died in a house fire in Malek Alel of Aweil South County last Thursday night.

“Fire broke out at midnight when all people were sleeping,” said Thomas Mawein, a relative to the victims. He said that the woman died three hours after being rescued from the blaze whereas the four children died on the spot.

Mawein told Radio Tamazuj that three of the children belonged to Awein Akol, the woman who died, and the fourth was a relative’s.

He explained that the cause of the fire outbreak was unknown. He also claimed that the woman would not have died had there been medical treatment available.

The fire brigade service in South Sudan is limited and there is no such service in Aweil South.