Two girls, their father and a family cat were killed after eating bean soup, and their aunt was arrested
According to reports, Free State police arrested the woman following the deaths of her two nieces and nephews, aged 10 and 14, and their family cat, who ate the bean soup she had made for them.
The third nephew, aged 11, is in the hospital.
The family ate soup before going to work and school, police said.
Police spokeswoman Captain Phumelelo Dhlamini said at around 10am, the sisters were crying in pain at Utopia Farm School.
Dhlamini added: The teachers took them to a Bethlehem clinic where two of them died. a third is receiving treatment at the ICU at Phekolong Hospital.
Their father fell ill while on duty and was taken to hospital in Phekolong, where he later died.
The family cat was also found dead after eating the same soup.
Dhlamini says:
Initial inquiries revealed that their aunt had cooked them and served them soup for breakfast but had not eaten anything. He could not give a convincing reason why he had taken the remaining soup out of the pot,
According to reports, the 21-year-old woman is expected to appear in the Bethlehem Magistrate's Court on Friday.
The education department was "deeply saddened" by the news of the deaths, said Free State Education Minister Tate Makgoe.
