At Least 10 People Have Died After Drinking Water From Poisoned Well In Somalia

Yaaqshid Poisonous water from a well in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, has killed at least 10 people and hospitalized another 80, reports Bloomberg.

According to CNN, the number of confirmed deaths is at least 50.

Ali Seeko, a spokesperson for the Mogadishu mayor's office also confirmed in a phone interview with the publication that many of the victims who died were children.

"We have taken samples of water from the well, where most of the residents got sick after using the water, and once it is confirmed that the water is contaminated then stern measures will be taken against the owner of the well," said Seeko. The well is located in Yaaqshid, a neighborhood with thousands of families.

Since the Somali government collapsed in 1991 following the Somali Civil War, wells previously owned by the state have turned over to private ownership "with little regulatory oversight," according to Bloomberg.