Two children in Nyamyumba Sector, Rubavu District died last week after consuming poisoned meat, local leaders said yesterday.The deceased aged between three and four reportedly ate meat from a carcass of a cow which had died of suspected poisoning.Those who participated in the burial of the carcass turned around and exhumed it, local resident, Aime Nteziyaremye, said.“Residents stubbornly declined to follow precautions by the veterinary officer to avoid eating the meat of two cows,” he said.“Even the veterinary officer warned us during the process of disposing them (cows) off but some people insisted that the meat was not dangerous”. Nteziyaremye narrated that soon after the departure of local leaders from the site where the carcases were buried, people started scrambling for the meat and the next thing was rushing the victims to Gisenyi Hospital.Martin Habimana, the Nyamyumba Sector Executive Secretary confirmed the incident and explained that soon after food poisoning was suspected; scores of residents suspected to have consumed the meat were taken to Gisenyi Hospital. Medics at Gisenyi Hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media, said the two children died before reaching the hospital.“We admitted 13 people but they were discharged the following day. They all had similar symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting that we treated,” the medic said, explaining that the doctors could no confirm poisoning because the hospital’s laboratory has no necessary testing material.
