Number Of Deaths Crosses 300 In Kenyan Starvation Cult Case, Hundreds Still Missing

The death toll in one of the worst cult-related tragedies in recent history-where a Kenyan pastor instructed his followers to starve to death in order to meet Jesus-has risen to 300. After 19 more bodies were discovered on Tuesday,

Authorities say the dead were members of the Good News International Church, led by Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a taxi driver-turned-preacher who is accused of ordering his followers to starve themselves and their children to death so they could go to heaven before the end of the world.

Paul has been in police custody since April 14. He is due to face charges of "terrorism" in the case that has rocked the East African nation.

The police believe most of the bodies found in a forest near the Indian Ocean town of Malindi belong to his followers.

Also Read | Kenyan Pastor To Face Terrorism Charges Over Starvation Cult Deaths

A total of 303 people have now died after 19 bodies were exhumed from mass graves in Shakahola Forest in the country's southeast. More than 600 people are still reported missing, regional official Rhoda Onyancha said.

The figure is expected to increase as more exhumations are planned.

Investigators last week expanded their search to cover a wider area in the region to try to account for more victims.

The search for mass graves is still under way in the Shakahola forest, where the first victims-some dead, others alive but weakened and emaciated-were discovered on April 13.

Since then, a series of grim discoveries have revealed a macabre scandal, dubbed the "Shakahola Forest Massacre."

Investigations have been extended beyond the original 325 hectares to cover almost 15,000 hectares. More than 600 people have been reported missing by concerned relatives.

Police believe that most of the bodies exhumed were those of followers of the Good News International Church, an evangelical sect founded in 2003 by the self-proclaimed "pastor" Mackenzie, who advocated fasting until death in order to "meet Jesus".

The 50-year-old founder of the Good News International Church turned himself in on April 14 after police, acting on a tip-off, first entered Shakahola Forest.

While starvation appears to be the main cause of death, some of the victims, including children, were strangled, beaten, or suffocated, according to chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor.

(With inputs from agencies)