By Hou Akot Hou
A family of six in Aweil South County, Northern Bahr El Ghazal state, has succumbed to death due to food poisoning.
According to the commissioner of Aweil South County, Mr. Luka Thel Thel, the incident occurred on Wednesday in Mabior Boma, Nyoc-awany payam.
The mother of four children had prepared a local vegetable dish known as Kudhura, which the entire family, including the mother, four children, and the father (identified as Guot Makuach), consumed.
“According to what the neighbours say, the mother of the children prepared vegetables as she collected it from the nearby sites where they collect and cooked it and saved themselves with it which killed them all,” he narrated.
“They fell unconscious and developed running diarrhoea and they eventually died on spot as nobody even managed to make enquiries with them as to how they got that food but neighbor say it is through eating the Kudhura or vegetable that led to their death,” said Thel
Neighbors reported that the family had collected and cooked the Kudhura vegetable, which ultimately led to their demise.
The six family members have been buried, and authorities, including state officials and police from the Criminal Investigation Department, are investigating the cause of the tragedy.
This incident follows a similar case in Aweil West, where two children passed away after consuming contaminated food suspected to be from wild vegetation.
Authorities are urging people to be cautious when consuming foods collected from wild vegetation, especially in the face of ongoing food deficits and insecurity affecting many residents in the state and the nation as a whole.