17 kids fall sick after consuming toxic fruit

ANGUL: As many as 17 students of Anantapalli Upper Primary school in Athamallick block fell ill after consuming the poisonous yellow oleander (Kaniar) fruit on Thursday. All the students are in the age group of six to nine.

The sick students were first rushed to Athmallick hospital and later shifted to Angul district headquarters hospital. However, three students were rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack after their condition became serious. Collector Anil Kumar Samal visited the hospital and interacted with the sick students. The students undergoing treatment at SCB are Manisha Naik, Santanu Jani and Debnarayan Behera.

Sources said during lunch break, one of the students plucked a fruit from a Kaniar plant on the school premises and consumed it. When he said the fruit was tasty, other students followed suit and one after the other, all 17 ate the poisonous fruit. After a few minutes, they complained of head reeling and vomiting.
On being informed, the school headmaster, who was away for some work, was called in and the sick students were rushed to Athmallick hospital with the help of local administration.

A cash of `3,000 was provided to each student from the Red Cross Fund. Collector Samal has announced free treatment for all the sick students and also ordered an enquiry into the incident.