Kenyan authorities report that 58 people have died as a result of a starving cult.

Kenyan police have recovered 58 bodies from mass graves in the Shakahola forest in eastern Kenya, thought to be followers of a Christian cult who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves. The death toll has been rising steadily over the past two days as exhumations have been carried out. The leader of the Good News International Church, Paul Mackenzie, was arrested following a tip-off that suggested the existence of shallow graves containing the bodies of at least 31 of his followers. Local media reported that Mackenzie has refused to eat or drink while in police custody. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said the entire 800 acre forest had been sealed off and declared a scene of crime. “This horrendous blight on our conscience must lead to the most severe punishment of the perpetrator(s) of the atrocity on so many innocent souls, and tighter regulation of every church, mosque, temple or synagogue going forward,” he said.