16 children fall ill after eating poisonous Jatropha fruit in UP's Mirzapur

As many as 16 children have fallen ill after allegedly eating poisonous Jatropha fruit in a colony in Chunar police station area on Saturday, a senior official here said.

The children had consumed the poisonous fruit "mistaking it for almond," the official said, adding the condition of all the children is stable.

The children were admitted to the Divisional Hospital and are being treated under the supervision of Mirzapur Medical College Principal R B Kamal.

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"The children were first brought to the Community Health Centre. After giving first aid, the children were admitted to the Divisional Hospital," Kamal said.

"Some children of Chunar's Kansiram Awas Colony were playing in the nearby LIC campus after coming from school. While playing, the children ate the fruit of Jatropha mistaking it for almond. After a few hours, they started having stomach pain. Some children also reported diarrhoea. After complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea, the sick children were brought to Chunar Health Center," Kamal said.

Jai Kumari, a relative of an affected child, also said that the children had eaten "black fruit mistaking it for almond."

"The children came from school and went to play. After a few hours, along with abdominal pain, diarrhoea started. The children had eaten the black fruit mistaking it for almonds," she said.