Children Die After Eating Poisonous Chapati

Two Ugandan children have died while 11 others have been taken to hospital after eating a chewing gum made of pesticides instead of oil, the Daily Monitor reports.

All 13 children are from the same family in Budumba, western Uganda and were said to have been 5 and 6 years old.

The newspaper reported that the children had made their own snacks known as Kabalagala.

The children are said to have used a pesticide sprayed on watermelons and herbs grown on the assumption that they were oil. According to the newspaper, the children began to vomit and were taken to Busolweni hospital where two of them died while the other 11 continued to receive treatment.

The local police chief, Ceasar Tusingwire confirmed the incident. "13 children from one family are suspected to have eaten poisonous carrots.

They mixed an insecticide with cooking oil by accident," explained Tusingwire. "Survivors are doing well but have not yet recovered.

We are working to make sure the children are back to normal, one health care worker said. Police said the bodies of the dead were being investigated and adding that investigations into the incident were underway.