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Two children of the same family died while another child and their mother have been admitted to Dowa District hospital for taking food suspected to be poisoned.
Dowa Police Public Relations Officer Richard Kaponda, identified the deceased as Agness Biliyati aged 11, and Enifa Malekano,3 and those that are receiving treatment as Daniel Biliyati 14, and their mother Emily Biliyati aged 24, all from Chimuka village.
The four are reported to have gone to a garden in Chimuka Village, T/A Msakambewa in the district to look after their maize field from monkeys.
Kaponda said the family used to prepare Nsima during lunch time and have been leaving behind the remaining flour in the garden for tomorrow’s use at a place only known to them.
“On this particular day, they went to garden for the same exercise and as usual during lunch time, the mother prepared Nsima using the same flour which was left behind, and added some which she brought from home. When they all finished taking the food, they all collapsed and were unconscious,” he said.
The family is reported to have been taken to the hospital by the village headman and police, after a certain farmer who had his garden close to the family, spotted them lying on the ground and unconscious, reported the matter to the authorities.
“The two were pronounced dead upon arrival and the two others survived and are receiving treatment at Dowa District Hospital,” said Kaponda.
He told Mana that the hospital’s postmortem results showed that the two died because of organol Phosphate, which is a poisonous substance.
Meanwhile, Police are hunting for the person who might have poisoned the flour.
