Five people died early on Friday morning when a car caught fire around the corner of Nasrec and Rand Show roads in Nasrec, south of Johannesburg, paramedics said.

“It is understood the driver lost control of the vehicle,” ER24 spokesperson Chitra Bodasing said in a statement.

“When er24 paramedics and other services arrived on scene they found the vehicle on its side lying in a bush. The vehicle was well alight. fire and rescue services extinguished the fire.”

One person was found close to the burnt-out car, and four people were found in the vehicle, she said.

“Unfortunately there was nothing paramedics could [do] for them.”

Police were investigating.