Africa-Press – South-Africa. Four children suffocated in Petsana in the Free State on Wednesday when they became trapped while playing in an old car.
By the time the children were found, they had already been dead for a few hours.
Free State police spokesperson Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring said the 72-year-old grandmother of two of the children had been taking care of them at the time.
According to Mophiring, Lesedi Mnguni and Jwalane Goodness Mnguni, both aged 3 years, were cousins and lived in the same house as the woman.
Lerato Donald Tshabalala, 2 and Mojalefa Mokoena, 4, were also cousins but they lived down the road from the other two.
Mophiring said the children were last seen outside at about 11:30, when they were playing under the woman’s supervision.
At around 16:30, family members arrived and asked where the children were.
They eventually found the children in an old Volvo S40 sedan.
“They tried to open the doors, but the doors were locked from the inside and the windows closed. The car did not have a battery as well and they forcefully opened it and took all four children out and called the emergency personnel.
“Upon arrival, the EMS [officials] certified all four children [dead] and said they had been dead for a while.
“Police have opened an inquest case,” the spokesperson added.
Mophiring warned parents to throw away old fridges and to ensure children did not play inside old cars.
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