4 dead after eating banku and okro soup

Some four persons have died at Akakpokope, a village in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region after consuming popular delicacy, banku and okro soup.

The deceased persons are Peace Akapko, 35; Elias Akakpo, 14; Comfort Aryee, 40 and Patience Kwaovi, 10.

The victims are said to belong to two separate families who coincidentally seemed to have eaten the same meal.

Joy News’ Maxwell Agbagba has been to the community and spoke to a resident who said the deceased persons had complained of stomach upset after consuming the meal.

“The thing happened on Thursday, but at dawn on, Friday they were all brought to the district hospital in Sogakope. Doctors attended to them but unfortunately, this morning four of them have passed away,” the man said.

He also disclosed that the first family of five purchased the dough used in the preparation of their meal from the second family who owned a corn mill shop.

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Residents in the community who have gathered at the homes of the deceased persons are shocked at the development.

The District Chief Executive Officer of the town says this is not the first time an incident of such nature has occurred in the community.

He told Maxwell that two of such incidents have occurred in the past, but the recent one calls for action to be taken to ascertain the cause of the problem.

“This case is not happening only today, for some years now, this is the third time this is happening…and we can’t wait for the fourth time.

“So as chairman of the DISEC we will be convening an emergency meeting on Monday for us to take drastic action on the situation. We cannot allow this to continue,” he added.