Kavango East family suffers food poisoning, two children dead

Two children are dead and several others are ill following a suspected case of food poisoning at Livayi village in the Kavango East region, acting regional commander deputy commissioner Eino Nambahu says.

The incident occurred on Monday evening, says Nambahu.

According to Nambahu, the family reportedly consumed a meal of mutete and porridge for both lunch and dinner.

He said shortly after the evening meal, one of the children began experiencing stomach pain, followed by vomiting and weakness.

The children, identified as Sinyemna Nangombe (7) and Nahambo Likuwa (1), have since died. Sinyemna died at home while Nahambo died at the Rundu Intermediate Hospital.

Some of the people who ate the food and are currently hospitalised at the Rundu Intermediate Hospital are: Markus Shinyemba (12), Johanna Haingura (5) and Shinyemba Winbard (2). Others are Kaveto Collestinus Shindimba (10) and neighbours Kapinga Markus Shikoka (4) and Manfred Kaundu (5).

Nambahu says when the police and medical personnel from Nyangana Hospital and Ndiyona police station, respectively, arrived at the scene, they found Sinyemna dead and others in a critical condition.

“Due to the severity of their conditions, they were then transferred to Nyangana Hospital and later transported to Rundu Intermediate Hospital,” Nambahu says.

“Samples have been collected for laboratory testing to determine the cause of the food poisoning.”