Hundreds gather at Soweto memorial service for the 5 children who died of suspected food poisoning
The children died on Sunday after experiencing stomach pains, vomiting and drowsiness - symptoms associated with poisoning.
Hundreds of community members gathered at the Naledi Community Hall in Soweto on 11 October 2024 for the mass memorial of five children who died on 6 October 2024 in a suspected poisoning incident. Picture: Supplied/Gauteng Education Department
SOWETO - Hundreds of people gathered at the Naledi Community Hall in Soweto where a mass memorial service is underway for the five children who died in a suspected poisoning incident.
The children died on Sunday after experiencing stomach pains, vomiting and drowsiness - symptoms associated with poisoning.
Grieving families and community members packed the Naledi Community Hall in Soweto to pay tribute to the five children who died on Sunday in a suspected poisoning incident.
Families of the children, aged between 6 and 9, have emphasised that investigations into their deaths need to provide answers so an incident of this nature does not occur again. pic.twitter.com/snQA89e3HU
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) October 11, 2024
A representative of the Maama family called on police to investigate the matter thoroughly.
"We need to find out what killed our kids because their are too many kids who are losing their lives like this. And i hope these kids didn’t lose their lives in vain, I hope we can find a solution."
Other families called on the community to pray over the area as this was the second poisoning incident to rock the community in a year.
Last year, two boys from the same community died in a similar manner, after allegedly consuming snacks from a spaza shop.
A candlelight vigil will be held in Naledi on Friday evening followed by a mass burial for the five children on Sunday.