Sne Masuku

Sne Masuku

A one-year-old Umlazi baby died yesterday after a pot of hot porridge fell on her.

Noluthando Mkhize was left in the care of her grandmother when the tragedy took place yesterday morning.

The child had apparently grabbed the pot of porridge from the stove.

Police said the grandmother had woken up early and cooked porridge for her granddaughter.

Police spokesman Khephu Ndlovu said the grandmother clearly remembers taking the child with her when she left the house.

No more than a split second later she suddenly realised that the child was no longer with her and had crawled back into the house.

Even before she entered the house she heard the child screaming in agony.

"It was too late, the child had pulled the porridge from the stove an spilt it all over her," Ndlovu said. "Her whole body was burnt."

Noluthando was pronounced dead on arrival at the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital.

The distraught family would not talk to the media yesterday and were busy arranging for the child's body be taken to a mortuary.

In another incident a 39-year-old Umlazi woman allegedly committed suicide by drinking mosquito repellant on Monday.

Ndlovu said the police were called to the scene and found a bottle of "mosquito liquid" next to the dead woman.

He said they were now investigating whether the woman committed suicide or whether there had been foul play.

"It could be that the woman was made to drink the poison," Ndlovu said.