Three children dead in suspected pesticide poisoning‚ say Western Cape police

Health authorities in the Western Cape fear that at least 10 people have been poisoned by food containing pesticide.

A police spokesman said on Tuesday that three children had died‚ although the health department has reported just one death. The victims are from three different homes.

Spokesperson for the health department‚ Darren Francis‚ said tests were currently being run at a local laboratory to determine the exact cause‚ and noted that "doctors had ruled out bacterial based pathogens as the cause of infection".

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Emergency Medical Services were called to a home in the Weltervreden area on Monday afternoon to transport one patient to a local hospital‚ but upon arrival found six additional patients suffering from the same symptoms.

Later that evening three separate patients received treatment in a nearby day hospital‚ but were later transferred to Mitchells Plain Hospital.

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While the department would only confirm one death‚ the police have said they are investigating the deaths of three children - aged between three months and six years - in Samora Machel in Philippi since Sunday.

“Post mortems will be conducted to determine the exact cause of their deaths‚” said Traut.

- TMG Digital/The Times