大象传媒

Kenyan police have now exhumed the bodies of 47 people believed to have been followers of a Christian cult who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves to death. Many of those found in shallow graves were children.

The bodies were found in the Shakahola forest near the coastal town of Malindi. Police are continuing to look for more graves and survivors within an 800-acre area.

Hussein Khalid, who is director of Haki Africa, a human rights group in Kenya, visited the site. He told the 大象传媒, "The first day seven bodies were found, the second day 14 and yesterday 18," adding, "The number of mass graves opened up is less than 10% of the graves that have been found."

Mr Khalid says, "Some of them died by fasting to death... they were told the world was coming to an end and they need to die to ascend to heaven."

Four members of the group, known as the Good News International Church were found alive, but some refused first aid treatment.

The leader of the church, Paul Mackenzie, has been arrested. He denies wrongdoing.

(Photo: Kenyan homicide detectives and forensic experts from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), examine exhumed bodies from several shallow mass graves, 23 April 2023.. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Show less