Three children from the same family have died due to food poisoning after eating wild yams locally known as zikhawo in Mangochi district.
The three ate the yams together with their sibling who is currently hospitalised and is responding to treatment.
Police have identified the dead children as Aisha Juwao, 6, and her twin brothers Umali and Yusuf Juwao, 4 while the one who survived is one year-old Hamida Juwao.
Mangochi Police Deputy Public Relations Officer Amina Daudi told Malawi24 that on Monday the mother of the four children left them at home and went for farming.
During lunch time, the kids prepared themselves wild yams which they got from a river nearby their village.
“When their mother returned home in the evening she was surprised to find all of them vomiting and the children were rushed to St Martins Hospital where the three died while receiving treatment.”
”Fortunately the youngest among them Hamida survived after responding to the treatment and her condition is fair,” said Daudi.
Postmortem conducted at St Martins Hospital revealed they died due to food poisoning.
All the children are from Mikundi village, Traditional Authority Chowe in Mangochi.
Meanwhile the Police are advising the guardians not to leave children unattended especially during this farming season, saying they should at least be left in the hands of someone much older to look after them as children of such tender age need guidance and close supervision.
