17 children fainted, suspected of having eaten Jatropha seeds.
Khairagarh. Panic erupted at the government primary school in Karmatara village when children suddenly started collapsing one after another during the morning assembly. Teachers and other students were alarmed and immediately rushed to help the affected children. Preliminary investigations revealed that, as usual, the children had arrived at the school premises before classes began. During this time, they ate the fruit of the Jatropha plant growing near the school.
The Jatropha fruit is poisonous, a fact the children were unaware of. As soon as the morning assembly began, the children started feeling dizzy, and some fainted and collapsed. In total, 17 children fell ill. The school management immediately rushed all the children to the Jalbandha Community Health Center, where a team of doctors promptly began treatment.
According to the doctors, four children showed more severe effects of the Jatropha poisoning, while the condition of the remaining children is currently stable. According to information from the health department, one child’s condition is critical, and he is being referred to Khairagarh for better treatment. The other children are under observation, and their health is being continuously monitored. As news of the incident spread, panic gripped the entire Karmatara village. A large number of parents and villagers rushed to the community health center. Regarding this serious incident, District Education Officer Lal Ji Dwivedi stated that he was unaware of the incident and learned about it through the media. He is gathering more information about the entire matter.
