The authorities in Warrap State on Tuesday confirmed that seven people who were detained by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and locked in a shipping container died of suffocation on Monday night in Kuajok Hospital.

According to local officials, the eight suspects charged with murder and raiding cattle from Tonj North and Gogrial East counties were kept in a shipping container at a facility of the SSPDF’s Eleventh Infantry Division in Kuajok. However, when their health condition deteriorated due to asphyxia, they were rushed to Kuajok Hospital on Monday night. Seven of the detainees passed away and one is in the hospital in critical condition.

South Sudanese local radio station Radio Tamazuj quotes a source as having said the deceased were locked in a 20-foot shipping container on Sunday and when it was opened the next day, they were found dead.

He reportedly named the deceased as Athian Athian Nhial, Lual Athian Nhial. Athian Athian Athian Nhial Sr, and Athian Athian Nhial Jr all from Tonj North County. He named the other deceased from Gogrial East County as Deng Majok Deng, Maluil Garang Angok, and Wol Duok Lual.

Warrap State Information Minister William Wol Mayom told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that the state’s administration condemned the military for detaining the now-deceased civilians and said investigations into the matter are ongoing.

“On Monday night, eight people who were detained by the military were brought to Kuajok Hospital unconscious and seven later died but one is in critical condition and the state government condemned this unauthorized act of the military detaining civilians,” he said. “It is the work of the police to arrest civilians who are suspected of any wrongdoing, not the military. We condemn the incident and pass our condolences to the bereaved families. Investigations are ongoing in the military camp.”

Minister Wol added: “The suspects were alleged to have raided cattle and murdered people and four of the deceased were from Tonj North County and the other three were from Gogrial East County.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Gong Dut Wol, the Kuajok Hospital director, however, said they received dead bodies of people who died of suffocation.

“We received four dead bodies at Kuajok Hospital on Monday night, three dead bodies this Tuesday morning Tuesday plus one who died on 29 April with the same condition,” he explained.  “These people died of suffocation, that is lack of oxygen, and they were brought by the military.”

“I do not know where the military kept them but what I just heard was that they were kept in containers without ventilation,” Dr. Dut added.