By NIDRA KEWERE MAPI
FOUR people from the inland Rigo district in Central province died after succumbing to a mystery illness.
There were no symptoms and the four died within a few hours of each other.
Council member Ivan Namia for Ward Eight, where the deceased were from, said it was the first time they had faced such a situation and expressed concern for the villagers who are living in fear.
Mr Namia said while diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS had symptoms, this illness had no symptoms and the people just fell down and died.
He said the four people had fits and after falling to the ground, started to bleed from the mouth, ears and nose.
Their bodies then swelled up producing a strong smell which forced the people to bury the bodies immediately.
Mr Namia told The National yesterday that the people in Ward Eight were living in fear and he was concerned that they might take matters into their own hands.
He said because there were no explanations as to the cause of death, villagers were thinking the deaths were caused by customary beliefs.
“I am afraid that they may start killing innocent people in the village because they do not know what had caused the deaths of the four people,” he said.
Mr Namia called on the Health Department to conduct an investigation into the matter immediately.
“I am asking the Health Department to investigate and explain what is happening as we do not know what caused the illness that resulted in the deaths so quickly.
“It could be an illness from overseas that we do not know,” he said.
Mr Namia added that he also wanted the health workers in the Rigo district and Central province to organise awareness of the situation so the people know what knew what was happening.
He said the people were very scared.