Five children die ‘locked in freezer’

South African police have opened an inquiry into the death of five children who are thought to have suffocated after trapping themselves in a freezer.

The five cousins, aged between three and seven, were discovered by their grandmother in Kakamas town, Northern Cape province, on Tuesday, police say.

Police do not suspect foul play.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, two children died from suffocation after getting locked in a car that was awaiting repairs outside Johannesburg.

Police have urged parents and guardians not to allow children to play unaccompanied in places where their safety could be at risk.

In a statement about the deaths in Kakamas, they said they believed the freezer, which was turned off, locked while the children were playing inside it.