Five in hospital after eating poisonous cassava meal

Barely days after a nine-year-old child died from eating cassava flour suspected to contain poison, five more people have been admitted to Neno District Hospital after consuming a similar meal.

Health workers at the hospital confirmed that the patients, who are from Chikungulu area under Senior Chief Mlauli, arrived on Saturday night in critical condition after eating cassava leaves processed into flour.

According to medics, the group was vomiting heavily but their condition has since stabilized compared to when they were admitted.

Chairperson for the Disaster Risk Management Committee in Sub-Traditional Authority Chikalema, Lucy Howa, confirmed the development. She stressed that hunger has severely hit the area and urged authorities to intervene urgently.

Neno District is one of the hardest-hit by food shortages this year, with more than 41,000 farming households failing to harvest enough due to poor yields caused by drought.