By Shaffie A Mtambo
A young man, believed to be in his early 30s, has committed suicide at a resthouse in Mangochi Township after ingesting pesticide.
According to Mangochi Police Public Relations Officer Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi, the deceased, who remains unidentified, is slim, dark-complexioned, and sporting a medium beard.
Daudi added that the resthouse manager, the man checked in alone on the evening of January 3, 2025. He was last seen carrying a bottle of beer and a black plastic bag.
The manager noted that the guest neither left his room nor received visitors that night.
The following morning, a cleaner knocked on the door several times to carry out routine cleaning but received no response. Hours later, the cleaner forcibly opened the door and found the man lying unconscious, with vomit scattered throughout the room.
The incident was immediately reported to Mangochi Police. Detectives who arrived at the scene found the man wearing only boxers, with an empty bottle of Kuche Kuche beer and a container of Snowstorm pesticide beside him.
He was rushed to Mangochi District Hospital but was pronounced dead while receiving treatment. A postmortem revealed that his death resulted from ingesting pesticide mixed with beer.
The body is currently being kept at the hospital mortuary, awaiting identification by relatives.
Mangochi Police are appealing to the public for assistance in identifying the deceased. Anyone missing a relative is urged to visit the Mangochi District Hospital mortuary or contact the nearest police formation.
