North West father torches kids, self
Fire
Image by: GENE BLEVINS/REUTERS
Image by: GENE BLEVINS/REUTERS
A four-year-old North West boy died and his brother, 12, was burned when their father poured petrol over them and set them alight in Kopela village, police said on Sunday.
Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said the 40-year-old father appeared to have wanted to kill himself and the children. He was also burned in the incident at 10pm on Saturday.
Neighbours tried to save the family, but the youngest boy died on the way to hospital.
The children's mother was working outside the province and was not at home at the time. The family's house was destroyed.
The father was under police guard in hospital and had been charged with murder and attempted murder, said Ngubane. His condition and that of his surviving son were stable.
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