Society

Mbouda: One dies, four from same family hospitalised after consuming cassava.

A nine-year-old boy, Kuere Allan, is reported to have died and four of his siblings hospitalised in Mbouda, Bamboutous Division of the West Region. The deceased and the hospitalised family members are reported to have consumed food believed to have been poisoned

The tragic incident occurred Monday September 4. The five kids from the same family are said to have consumed cassava. The food, we gathered, was prepared by their mother.

Kuere is said to have behaved funny after eating the cassava and died on the spot. Three other siblings were later rushed to a health facility.

The kids, eyewitnesses said, started complaining of stomach aches after eating the cassava. Kuere first gave up the ghost while neighbours were battling to rescue his other siblings who were manifesting the same signs, a local said.

While the incident threw the town of Mbouda into confusion, local judicial and administrative authorities visited the home of the affected family and the hospital. The officials are said to have also ordered for immediate investigations into the incident.

Many told reporters that they are yet to comprehend what happened to the kids, given that they were fine before the unfortunate incident of Monday.

In the wake of the confusion over what may have actually happened, others said the kids may have mistakenly dropped a substance not meant for human consumption in the food before eating.

The Mbouda incident comes after many other cases of alleged food poisoning that have rocked the West Region and cities like Douala and Bafoussam in the last couple of months.

Authorities have also been repeatedly calling for vigilance on the part of parents to ensure the safety of their kids, especially as the new academic year has just begun.