Man Dies After Drinking Kachasu on an Empty Stomach in Chitipa
By Andrew Weddings…….
A 54-year-old man from Chilorea Village under Senior Chief Mwabulambya in Chitipa District has died after allegedly consuming excessive amounts of kachasu on an empty stomach, police have confirmed.
The deceased has been identified as Batison Simbeye.
According to Chitipa Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Rabson Mkandawire, Simbeye left his home at around 3:00 p.m. on July 20, 2026, and went to a neighbouring village where he drank kachasu without eating a meal that had been prepared for him by his daughter.
“He left home around 3:00 p.m. to drink kachasu in a nearby village without first eating the food his daughter had prepared. He started walking back home at around 8:00 p.m., but he never arrived,” Mkandawire said.
The following day, children passing near Mwachihomba River discovered Simbeye’s lifeless body and alerted village elders, who in turn reported the matter to police. Officers, accompanied by medical personnel from Chitipa District Hospital, visited the scene to conduct investigations.
A post-mortem examination established that Simbeye died from hypoglycaemia secondary to alcohol intoxication.
In the wake of the incident, police have appealed to members of the public to avoid consuming alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach, warning that the practice poses serious health risks and can be fatal.
