Homestead were 5 family members who died of food poisoning. (-)

The Ministry of Health has dispatched samples to a Ugandan laboratory for examination to determine the cause of the mysterious death of 19 people in separate incidents in Aweil East and Aweil South counties, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

Communities in Aweil East County were in shock when eight family members mysteriously died on 15th August, prompting the state government to launch an investigation into suspected food poisoning.

NBGs Minister of Information Zachariah Garang narrated that the family members were experiencing stomach pain, vomited, before losing consciousness and dying.

He said five of them passed away at a hospital, while the rest died at a church. A week before the incident, five family members also died from a similar condition in the same area.

Also in July, a family of five people tragically died after eating supper in neighboring Aweil South County, leaving only an infant as the survivor, according to the state information minister.

NBGs Governor Simon Ober Mawut, who met National Health Minister Yolanda Awel Deng on September 3, disclosed that samples have been taken to Uganda for testing to determine the cause of the incidents.

“The meeting addressed the recent incident involving the mysterious deaths of thirteen (13) family members in Aweil East County and six (6) other family members in Aweil South County, in a suspected food poisoning cases,” a statement from the governor’s office said.

“Minister Awel stated that the ministry is still investigating the cause of death as samples collected from the deceased have been sent to a regional laboratory in Kampala, Uganda for further investigations.”

However, the statement added that some of the samples have already tested negative, adding that the health ministry is awaiting more results to determine the cause of deaths.