At least 10 tribal children hospitalised after consuming unidentified poisonous fruit in Odisha

Jajpur: At least 10 tribal children in Odisha's Jajpur district fell ill after reportedly consuming a poisonous fruit on Sunday, police said.

The children, aged between five and eleven, were playing together in Aruha Hatasahi, located under Dharmasala police limits, when they stumbled upon the fruit-bearing tree.

Driven by curiosity, they ate the fruit and returned home. Shortly afterward, each child began vomiting and accompanied by stomach pain.

The children were initially taken to Dharmasala community health centre (CHC), from where they were referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their condition deteriorated, locals said.

The exact type of fruit responsible for the children's illness has not yet been identified. The children, still struggling with symptoms, have been unable to clearly describe the fruit to medical professionals, complicating the identification process.

In response to the incident, a public health advisory has been issued, urging people to avoid consuming unfamiliar fruits and to seek immediate medical attention if any symptoms of poisoning occur.

"The children are recovering slowly but they are unable to identify the fruit they had consumed, a senior health official said.