Woman dies after imbibing Kachasu on an empty stomach in Monkey Bay

By Michael Martin//MALAWI

A 55-year-old woman, Grace Aaron has died suddenly after excessively imbibing a distilled spirit locally known as kachasu without eating anything in Monkey Bay, Mangochi District.

According to Alice Sichali, the spokesperson for Monkey Bay Police, the incident occurred on Tuesday, November 11, 2025 in Muonda Village Cape Maclear area.

Sichali reported that the deceased, who brewed and sold kachasu, drank a strong portion of the spirit on November 10, 2025 without eating and went through the night without any food.

“At around 3 p.m the next day, Grace collapsed and lost consciousness. She was rushed to Billy Hospital where medical staff confirmed her death upon arrival.

Postmortem results indicated that she died due to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), a condition triggered by excessive alcohol consumption on an empty stomach,” she said.

Police in Monkey Bay have urged the public to eat before consuming alcohol to avoid similar deaths.

The late Grace Aaron was a resident of Muonda Village under Traditional Authority Nankumba in Mangochi District.