Suspected poisonous food killed 13 people and left four others in critical condition in Namibia in three days.

The victims were from a 22-member family in Kayova village in the northeast of the country. Most of them were children who needed food.

The state broadcaster NBC said the family had eaten porridge made with pearl millet flour and fermented residue from a homemade drink.

The health ministry sent a team of experts to help and counsel the family. It also sent samples of the porridge to South Africa for testing to confirm food poisoning.

The authorities are probing the incident and supporting the family in this tragic situation.