The paramount chief of Ajak section in Aweil South County Sultan Ayom Akol Wek Ateny has urged the general public to take good care of elderly people following the apparently accidental death of an old woman last week.

According to the chief, the death occurred after an old woman grabbed a ball of groundnut from another woman and tried to swallow it but choked on it instead. The incident took place at Malek Alel market last week. 

“What happened last week was something surprising everybody because a drunk old woman came in the market and grabbed a ball of groundnut from another woman and she put it into her mouth trying to swallowed it but unfortunately it stopped in her throat without down the stomach and the woman just died like that. So her body was taken to Aweil and the doctor has confirmed that she died of the groundnut because it had blocked her pipe from breathing," explained Ayom.

“Therefore, care must be taken on oldest people including people with mental problems so that unacceptable deaths like will happen in the near future," Ayom added. He pointed out that nobody has been arrested and the body of the victim was buried after a doctor's confirmation.

File photo: An elderly woman in Upper Nile, South Sudan