Children’s exact cause of death still unknown

What exactly killed four Motherwell children on Sunday is still unknown.

Postmortem examinations on Wednesday morning did not clear up the mystery.

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said they were awaiting the toxicology report from a laboratory in Cape Town.

Alunamda Mqawu, 3, his sister Zintle, 11, Asive Rhwayibana, 10, and her little brother, Alizwa, 5, died hours after probably eating something they found on a field used as an illegal dumpsite at about 11am on Sunday.

“The toxicology tests will establish what was in their blood. Other samples were also taken and sent to be analysed,” Beetge said.

 Their symptoms, such as foaming at the mouth and vomiting, supported the theory that the children had ingested something poisonous.

“We are waiting for the exact results to establish what the children ingested,” he said.

Within three hours of eating the food, the three started vomiting, foaming at the mouth and feeling dizzy.

By 6pm all four had died at the Motherwell Health Centre.

A fifth child playing with them showed the same initial symptoms but survived.

On Tuesday, municipal officials were in the area cleaning the field.