A fatal fire hit a shack late Saturday in South Africa, leaving three children dead and their parents hurt, a local emergency department said on Sunday.

The tragedy took place as the five members of a family were sleeping at the small settlement of Vlakfontein, south of Johannesburg, said the department.

The injured were sent to a nearby hospital after discovered by rescuers, while the cause of the fire was not yet known, said the department.

In South Africa, fire is reportedly a serious hazard that endangers residents in shack settlements.

It is estimated that within the country an average of 10 fires took place among shacks everyday over the past five years.

On Aug. 4, a shack in Cape Town caught fire, claiming the lives of a woman and two girls.