Two children aged three and four died from suspected food poisoning after eating cassava at Korokoko village in the Ndiyona Constituency of the Kavango East Region on Sunday.

The Namibian Police Force’s (NamPol) crime investigations coordinator in the region, Deputy Commissioner Bonifatius Kanyetu, confirmed the incident, saying five other family members who also consumed the cassava have been hospitalised and are in stable condition, while one person is recovering at home.

The deceased have been identified as Mukosho Mahundi and Thikushi Ngonde, who died at home around 01:00 on Sunday.

It is alleged that the mother of one of the deceased children cooked cassava, which was consumed by the entire family at around 13:00 on Saturday. At approximately 21:00, the children and one adult allegedly began vomiting and feeling weak.

Their bodies were transported to the Nyangana District Hospital, and their next of kin have been informed of their deaths.

Kanyetu said food poisoning deaths are becoming common and are a concern to the police. He told Nampa the police are planning to visit the areas where community members source cassava and will explore the possibility of having the soil tested.

Police investigations into the matter continue.