3 children die in Mangochi after eating tuber

Three children have died in Mangochi after eating poisonous tubers which they thought was cocoa.

The incident happened at Kalichero village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Chimwala which falls under Mangochi Nkungulu constituency.

Member of Parliament for the area, Aisha Mando Adams, who was in the village when the incident happened, said the three children from the same family were aged 15, seven and four and were looking after goats at their parents’ garden.

She said, since they were used to having their day’s meal at the garden, the two girls and a boy went around the garden and dug out some tubers which they prepared as they waited for their parents.

“When the parents arrived at the garden they found the youngest child very sick and the remaining two looking very weak. The eldest child told the parents they had eaten the tubers,” he explained.

Adam said the children were rushed to Mangochi District Hospital where the youngest  died on Tuesday morning and the  two died on Wednesday.

Mangochi police station assistant spokesperson Amina Tepani Daudi said she had no information regarding the issue as it was yet to be reported to her office.