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- The recent heat wave in Limpopo claimed the lives of two three-year-old children.
- They had accidentally locked themselves inside an old vehicle and died of suffocation.
- The boys, who are related, disappeared Monday morning.
The recent scorching weather in Limpopo claimed the lives of two children, who apparently locked themselves in an old vehicle by mistake and died of suffocation.
The two three-year-old boys disappeared Monday and their bodies were discovered 12 hours later in a wrecked vehicle.
Limpopo police spokesman Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the children, who are related, disappeared while attending a local church in Maupa village around 08:30.
“It was only learned at night that the children were missing. The elders started a search for the minors throughout the village, but they did not find them,” Ngoepe said.
The two children were later reported missing at the Bellview satellite police station and the Saps K9 Unit and local police launched a joint search operation, with the support of residents.
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Later, late at night the same day, around 8:30 p.m., the children were finally found inside the back seat of the wrecked vehicle in one of the residences of the deceased.
Preliminary police investigations indicated that the children were playing inside the vehicle when they were accidentally locked and could not free themselves.
“Unfortunately, there was no immediate assistance to free them and they suffocated to death due to the heat wave that occurred during the day,” Ngoepe said.
An investigation was opened and police were awaiting post-mortem reports to determine the cause of death.
The provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba, said he was shocked and saddened by all the incidents that affected children in the province.
Ledwaba called on all members of the community to strengthen child safety measures to prevent such incidents from occurring.
