In a devastating turn of events on Pemba Island, part of the Zanzibar archipelago, authorities reported that eight children and one adult lost their lives after consuming sea turtle meat. Additionally, 78 other individuals were hospitalized in the aftermath of the incident, as confirmed by authorities on Saturday.
Despite being considered a delicacy by the people of Zanzibar, sea turtle meat has periodically resulted in fatalities due to chelonitoxism, a form of food poisoning.
The adult who passed away late Friday was identified as the mother of one of the children who had succumbed earlier, according to Dr. Haji Bakari, the Mkoani District medical officer. Bakari disclosed that the consumption of turtle meat occurred on Tuesday, leading to this tragic outcome.
Laboratory tests conducted on the victims confirmed that all had ingested sea turtle meat prior to falling ill.
Responding to the crisis, authorities in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, dispatched a disaster management team led by Hamza Hassan Juma. Juma issued a plea urging individuals to refrain from consuming sea turtles to prevent further tragedies.
