One more person is said to have died after eating banku and okro soup at Akakpokope, a village in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region.
Public Relations Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), James Lartey revealed this no Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Monday.
According to him, the deceased is a young child who died after also consuming the staple food.
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The four died at Akakpokope, a village in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region after consuming popular delicacy, banku and okro soup.
The victims are said to belong to two separate families who coincidentally seemed to have eaten the same meal.
Joy News’ Maxwell Agbagba who followed the story reported that, the deceased persons complained of stomach upset after consuming the meal.
They were rushed to the Sogakope District Hospital but died shortly after.
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Commenting on unfortunate incident, James Lartey said the issue has become murkier, given the latest death.
He also said a member of the family who owned a corn mill is also in critical condition after consuming the same banku with a different soup.
Mr. Lartey noted that, preliminary investigations by the FDA have revealed that the corn dough used was contaminated.
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He indicated that, the FDA staff in the Volta Region have picked samples of the corn dough used in the preparation of the banku to find out what exactly caused the deaths.
As an immediate measure, he added that the FDA has mounted surveillance in the community to try and identify the source of the problem, amidst widespread panic among residents.
Mr. Lartey was certain the five died on food poisoning but they are working closely with the police, the District Chief Executive and the Member of Parliament for the area to unravel the mystery.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased are expected to be sent to Accra for further examination.
