Beer mixed with crocodile bile kills at least 69 mourners at funeral

A contaminated traditional beer has killed at least 69 people amid suspicions it was mixed with poisonous crocodile bile. The mass poisoning occurred when people attending a funeral in the village of Chitima in central Mozambique fell ill. Pombe is a traditional home-brewed beer made from cornflour, but it is believed crocodile bile was added at some point during the event on Friday.

Seven fatalities were initially confirmed on Saturday morning. "As we prepared to determine the cause of death of people we began to receive a lot of people with diarrhoea and other muscle aches," Paula Bernardo, the district director for Health, Women and Social Action, told a public broadcaster.

"After that we began to receive dead bodies from several neighbourhoods." She said at least 169 remained in hospital.

Samples of the brew and suspicious objects found inside the drum have been sent to the National Laboratory in the capital Maputo for testing.

Home brews concocted from corn, sorghum or other crops are commonly consumed in many parts of Africa and funerals on the continent are often accompanied by drinking and feasting. The outgoing president, Armando Guebuza, declared three days of national mourning.