At least 18 people perish in water poisoning in Puntland

At least 18 people have died in the last 48 hours in Timiro location in Puntland following water poisoning, a government official has confirmed.

Abdullahi Shire Aw-Yusuf, the administrator of Timiro location told Goobjoog News the deceased died after consuming water from a borehole which is suspected to have been poisoned.

“The waterhole these people used to draw water from has been poisoned. As a result 18 people died while 150 others are sick and some of them taken to nearby locations” said Aw-Yussuf.

The official added at least 150 other people have been taken to Iskushuban and Armo locations for medical treatment but noted transporting the sick was a major challenge owing to the rough terrain which make it difficult for vehicles to access.

“Our main challenge is inaccessibility by small cars to the area. We used big trucks and camels to transport the people.”

The circumstances under which the water could have been poisoned remain unclear.