HẬU GIANG — A father who allegedly poisoned his three children before attempting suicide is expected to be charged, Hậu Giang Province police said on Thursday. The children all recovered later in hospital.

Deputy director of the provincial police department, Colonel Lâm Phước Nguyên, said that 39-year-old Lương Hồng Sơn, residing in Hòa An Commune, would be held in custody for four months while police held a full investigation.

At about 1.20am on Tuesday, the emergency department at Cần Thơ City Children’s Hospital received three children transferred from the neighbouring province of Hậu Giang.

They showed symptoms of serious poisoning and were in a critical condition. They were Lương Nguyễn Tuấn Anh, 10, Lương Nguyễn Quốc Trinh, 7 and the youngest six-year-old Lương Nguyễn Thành Nhân.

The Cần Thơ hospital also admitted another poisoning case, the father of the three children, Lương Hồng Sơn.

They were all diagnosed as suffering from ingesting pesticide.

Sơn was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday while the children had to stay for further treatment, although their health was stable.

According to a preliminary invetigation, Sơn was displeased with his wife, Nguyễn Thị Kim Liên, when he found she had left the family and was going to work in HCM City.

On Monday morning, he allegedly became angry after finding out she had taken the eldest daughter to HCM City. Sơn demanded his wife bring their daughter back home, which Liên refused, allegedly claiming she would also take the other three children to live with her.

Upset, Sơn allegedly went to a market to buy pesticide and instant cereal drink, and made the children drink it before swallowing some himself.

Sơn’s mother who was living next door heard the chidlren’s cries at around 8.30pm and rushed to check on them. She called the ambulance to take them all to hospital. — VNS