A 30-year-old man, a resident of Walvis Bay died in the early hours of Sunday, while his wife and other family members were admitted to the hospital for suspected food poisoning.
The incident occurred at Otweya informal settlement.
According to Inspector Ileni Shapumba, Head of Erongo Community Policing Sub-Division in the Namibian Police Force (NamPol), the family of seven had dinner the previous evening, consisting of porridge and Oshikandela milk, along with precooked chicken bought from a local supermarket, before going to sleep.
It is alleged that around 02h00 on Sunday, the wife experienced stomach pain when she went to the toilet, which continued to weaken her until she was unable to move.
“Despite calling for help, her husband and children did not respond, and she ended up sitting in the toilet all night until gaining some strength in the morning,” explained Shapumba.
He added that when she reached the bedroom where the family was sleeping, she found everyone unconscious and decided to seek help from neighbors, who then notified the police.
Upon the ambulance’s arrival, the husband was declared dead, while the wife and other family members were treated and admitted to Walvis Bay State Hospital in stable conditions.
The deceased was identified as Alfeus Amadhila on whom a postmortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
In an unrelated incident, a one-year-old girl, identified as Sara Ames, reportedly died in a fire incident that occurred at Henties Bay at midnight on Saturday.
It is alleged that the family was using a candle during the evening and went to sleep.
According to Shapumba, it is suspected that the candle was left lit and caused the fire, which also destroyed the family’s entire belongings.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency