The family of two siblings who died after eating instant noodles – one week after three children died in a similar incident in South Africa – has warned parents to avoid serving them at dinner time until the autopsy results are released.
In the latest tragedy, Keamogetswe Makofane, 13, and his sister Thato Makofane, 9, died one hour apart last week after reportedly eating instant noodles in the township of Embalenhle in the South African province of Mpumalanga.
The children’s uncle Mpho Chosen Makofane said: “We are broken as a family because we never thought that something like this would happen to us.
“We haven’t heard anything from the police, and we went to inquire at the forensic about the post mortem result. We were informed that they would get back to us once they had received the results from the lab in Pretoria.”
The uncle also said that the family will reveal the noodles brand when the autopsy results are available.
Meanwhile, he warned other parents to stop serving noodles to their kids at dinner time until the authorities know more: “My advice at this moment is that parents should avoid giving their children noodles until the results are out.”
Police spokesperson Busisiwe Mthethwa said on Friday that the investigation is ongoing and the autopsy results are still pending.
The incident followed hot-on-the-heels of three children who died a week before in Eastern Cape after reportedly eating a packet of instant noodles.
The victims have been named as Sinothando Ngwendu, 11, Olwam Ngwendu, 7, and four-month-old Athenkosi Ngwendu from the township of Motherwell in Eastern Cape.
The youngsters died after eating instant noodles, bought from an informal convenience store, while visiting their grandparents in the township of New Brighton, also in Eastern Cape, according to the local police.
After the meal, the children complained of stomach cramps and sickness. They all reportedly died on their way to hospital in different cars.
Police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said: “They stayed over (in New Brighton) and on Sunday the 11-year-old girl went to the shop and bought a packet of noodles. She then cooked it and the three children ate it before leaving to go back to Motherwell.”
The two eldest children, who were cousins, complained of stomach cramps and were being taken to a clinic in Motherwell when they passed away, according to the news site The Citizen.
Meanwhile, the baby, who was Olwam’s sibling, also passed away while being taken to hospital in a different car.
The police said autopsies were being carried out on the victims’ bodies to determine the exact cause of death and the results have yet to be announced.
The investigations are ongoing.
