Three women die after eating Christmas cake in suspected poisoning in Brazil

Three women have died after eating a Christmas cake in a suspected poisoning case in Brazil.

A police handout photo sourced to Polícia Civil do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul of what authorities say is the actual cake involved in the incident.

In Brazil, Christmas Eve is the main event of the holiday season. Since 54 percent of the population is Catholic, many Brazilians attend midnight mass, exchange gifts and celebrate with large family gatherings the night before Christmas.