The bodies of four family members were discovered — with the throats of two children slashed — in a burning house in the Free State on Thursday.

The gruesome discovery was made at about 5am in Bloemfontein.

Col Thandi Mbambo said authorities were informed about the burning house and rushed to the scene. 

“On arrival, after the fire brigade had extinguished the fire, four bodies — that of the father, mother and two children — were found.

“The father, 56, and mother, 50, had no visible injuries, while [a] 17-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy were found with stab wounds and their throats slit.”

A preliminary investigation suggests there was no forced entry, but Mbambo said a probe was under way to determine what happened. She confirmed that the police were investigating murder and arson cases and that an inquest had been opened into the incident.  

“A postmortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death,” she said.

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