Three bodies were found in the bedroom of a house in Polokwane.
- Three people died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Limpopo.
- In the cold weather, they took a braai stand to their room when they went to bed.
- This as temperatures plummet to single figures in some places and below zero in others.
Two teenage boys and a 22-year-old man died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Limpopo on Thursday when they put a braai stand in an enclosed room in an apparent effort to find warmth.
Their deaths came as a cold snap swept across the country, causing the mercury to plummet to single figures in some places and dip below zero in others.
Their family found their bodies motionless in the early hours of Friday morning in a bedroom they shared in a house in Morongoa Park, outside Polokwane.
Police have not yet released their names.
The teenagers were 14 and 17.
READ | Wet and cold: Impending cold fronts to bring snow and sub-zero temperatures across SA
According to preliminary police reports, the three went to bed on Thursday night and took along a braai stand and coals, presumably as a heat source.
The following morning, the family realised something was wrong and called emergency services officials.
“Police were called to the scene and upon arrival they found three lifeless bodies of [the] boys. The family realised they were motionless and immediately called the police and EMS personnel,” police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe warned the community against using a brazier in a house, room, or any other space used for sleeping.
“The inhalation of [these substances] has proven to be a dangerous practice and has the potential to cause harm or death,” she said.
Police have opened an inquest docket.
