RUNDU: The suspected food poisoning incident at Rundu that claimed the lives of two children and left five hospitalised has claimed another life as a 12-year-old boy died at the Rundu State Hospital on Thursday.
This was confirmed in an update by Namibian Police Force (NamPol) acting commander for the Kavango East Region, Deputy Commissioner Eino Nambahu, on Friday.
‘One of the children from the suspected food poisoning passed on last night as his two siblings remain in critical condition,’ stated Nambahu.
It is alleged that the family prepared porridge with traditional spinach known as mutete for lunch. After lunch, one of the elder kids reportedly complained of stomach ache.
Later around 19h00 that day, seven-year-old Elfriede Nangombe Shinyemba started vomiting, felt weak and died.
Nambahu said police from Ndiyona Constituency, where the incident happened, together with medical personnel from the Nyangana District Hospital, departed to the scene and found Shinyemba deceased, while others were vomiting
and in a weak state.
‘The medical personnel started giving first aid to try and stabilise their condition,’ he said.
The seven kids were immediately rushed to the Nyangana District Hospital and later transferred to the Rundu State Hospital.
While being transferred to the Rundu State Hospital, the youngest of the seven kids, one-year-old Melania Nahambo Likuwa died.
Nambahu indicated that a team from NamPol and the Ministry of Health and Social Services in the region departed to the homestead of the eight children in Ndiyona to assess the situation.
He said all the necessary samples were collected and taken for laboratory tests.
Source: Namibia Press Agency