Three young children from Dukathole have died after eating rat poison.<\/p>\n
The tragedy took place on Wednesday and the police became aware of it after a 27-year-old man rushed into the Dukathole Clinic at about 2pm, with his young son, aged five.<\/p>
The man told the clinic nurse that his child had a stomach ache.<\/p>\n
The nurse had a look at the child, who was on his father’s back, and could not find any sign of life.<\/p>
She immediately took him to an examination room and began to perform CPR, to try to resuscitate him, as he had no vital signs.<\/p>\n
“Foam was coming out of his mouth and the child, sadly, died at the clinic,” said WO Andr\u00e9 de Jager, communications officer for the Germiston SAPS.<\/p>\n
“A few moments later the 25-year-old mother of the child arrived at the clinic with the boy’s 10-month-old sister, who was showing the same symptoms as her brother.<\/p>\n
“The same nurse immediately performed the same procedures to resuscitate the baby, but to no avail, as the baby also died soon after arriving at the clinic.”<\/p>\n
It is alleged that the children’s parents had left the siblings in the care of the father’s 17-year-old nephew, as they had to go out for a while.<\/p>\n
The nephew said the children ate crisps from a plate.<\/p>\n
He did not know from where they got the plate of crisps.<\/p>\n
After further investigation the plate was recovered from the parents’ house and traces of rat poison were found on it.<\/p>\n
“It is suspected that the symptoms the children showed were symptoms displayed when someone is poisoned by rat poison,” de Jager said.<\/p>\n
“The parents and the nephew were questioned and the police are continuing with investigations.”<\/p>\n
The police were later informed that another child, aged four, had died in the Bertha Gxowa Hospital on the same day, after displaying the same symptoms.<\/p>\n
It is believed the child was with the brother and sister at the time they ate the crisps.<\/p>\n
An inquest docket has been registered for further investigation.<\/p>\n