According to the account of a fellow participant from Nigeria, the deceased had earlier complained of having caught malaria.

According to eyewitness accounts, it all happened when the late Mr. Tangwai stood up to make a comment just after the second group had presented their paper. But he was there and then seized by a fit of coughing that grew so uncontrollable that he had to double over on the table for support. He was then rushed to the Bijilo Health Centre where he was pronounced dead.

The dead body was later taken to the mortuary at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) in Banjul for post mortem.