A three-year-old toddler and his father have been killed and his mother seriously injured in a suspected bomb blast in an informal settlement in Atteridgeville, Pretoria.
Warrant Officer Wanda Olivier said the family of three had been gathered around a fire when the explosion occurred. The boy and his father were killed instantly.
Police suspected that the explosion might have been due to a bomb because there have been reports of explosives found in the area, which was used by the military in the past.
"Previous news reports about the area indicate that the field [on which the settlement has been built] may have been used for SA National Defence Force exercises in the past."
Tshwane Emergency Services spokesman Johan Pieterse said the mother, who suffered cuts and "body shock" in the blast, was rushed to the Kalafong hospital. The bomb squad was still on the scene late last night.
