WALVIS BAY - Two minors have been killed in ravaging shack fires that left at least 14 people homeless in Swakopmund and Henties Bay over the weekend.

 The two minors were burnt to death early yesterday morning when the shack they were sleeping in caught fire in Henties Bay. Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Gurirab said the two children were trapped inside the burning shack as the door was locked with a padlock. The father reportedly left the two kids alone and locked them in from outside, while a candle was still burning. Both the Henties Bay rescue services and municipal fire brigade tried endlessly to contain the fire, sadly the kids could not be saved.

Gurirab yesterday said only the charred remains of the children were recovered from the fire scene and were taken to the Walvis Bay police mortuary. The cause of the fire is yet to be established. It is not yet clear whether the father will face any charges in connection with the death of his children. In another incident, seven shacks were gutted by fire on Friday evening in the Oletweni settlement, Swakopmund.