Witvlei constituency councillor Sheya Goagoses says three children died and another four people are in a critical condition following suspected food poisoning in the Omaheke region.

Goagoses on Friday told the Namibian that three children and three elders were rushed to the Witvlei clinic on Tuesday after eating porridge made with maize meal from the drought relief programme.

"Two children died instantly while others remained under critical condition," she said.

Goagoses said another child died yesterday.

"The following day, the family made bread with canned fish from the shop and more people got sick again. We then asked the medical team to test them. We observed that their tongues were blue," she said.

Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate during his state of the region address said about 800 people have died from malnutrition in the Omaheke region since 2022.

The region also recorded 30 219 malnutrition cases in the same two-year period.

Goagoses said health inspectors will investigate if it is indeed food poison