4 die after eating banku and okro

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

The names of the deceased were given as Peace Akakpo, 35; Elias Akakpo, 14; Comfort Aryee, 40, and Patience Kwaovi, 10.

According to reports, the victims belong to two families that coincidentally ate the same meal.

A resident of Akakpokope told Joy FM that the deceased complained about stomach upset after consuming the meal.

“The incident happened on Thursday and so at dawn on Friday they were all transported to the District Hospital in Sogakope. Doctors attended to them but unfortunately, this morning, four of them have passed away,” he said.

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

Residents in the community, who converged at the homes of the deceased, were astounded by the development.

The District Chief Executive (DCE), Emmanuel Louis Agama, said, “This is the third incident in recent times and we can’t allow the fourth to happen.

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