AIZAWL: At least ten people, belonging to two families, have died in Mamit district of Mizoram and East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya after consuming wild mushrooms, police officials said today.
Five deaths each were reported from the families in the two states today.
In Mizoram's Mamit district five members of a family except for a three-year-old girl have died after consuming wild mushrooms, with the latest causalty reported today.
Saihmingthanga (12), the eldest son of Saikhuma (35) and Ramdinmawii (34) of Mamit town, who was in ICU at the Aizawl Civil Hospital died at around 1:27 PM today due to multiple organ failure, Medical Superintendent Dr Rosangluaia told PTI.
Earlier, the second son, Biakrinawma (10) died in Mamit District Hospital on the night of April seven while his younger brother Malsawmtluanga (8) and their father Saikhuma (35) died the next day, hospital source said.
Saikhuma's wife Ramdinmawii (34), her son Saihmingthanga (12) daughter Miriami (3) and their guest V L Hriata (20) were brought to Aizawl by helicopter on April eight and Ramdinmawii died at the Aizawl Hospital and Research Centre's ICU on April 10, the medical superintendent said.
Saikhuma collected wild mushroom from the jungle on April four and cooked it for dinner the same evening for the family and their guest after which they began having stomach pain and loose motions, and were admitted to the Mamit District Hospital, hospital sources said.
Mamit District Officer's Club and the Young Mizo Association (YMA) have opened financial accounts in the name of three-year-old Miriami to support her. Meanwhile, a report from Shillong said at least five
persons of a family from Mawsawa village near Mawsynram (Sohra) in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district have died due to poisoning after consuming wild mushrooms, a police officer said.
Synsharlang Dewkhaid, the head of the family, who was admitted at the Shillong Civil Hospital, passed away yesterday, while his wife Darisda Rapthap and his two minor children and paternal uncle Ioki Dewkhaid died earlier, after they consumed wild mushrooms collected from the nearby jungle, SP City Vivek Syiem said today.
The condition of Dewkhaid's mother is stated to be critical.
Dewkhaid's son, who is recovering at the hospital, said nine family members consumed the mushroom for dinner on April seven and the following morning all fell sick, the SP said.
The victims were first admitted at the CHC Mawsynram before being shifted to Ganesh Das Hospital and Shillong Civil Hospital.
Three other members of the family have been discharged from the hospital, he said.
A police team has gone to the village to collect samples of the wild mushroom for testing.
"We are trying to send it to a laboratory to check the poisonous level of that mushroom, which the family consumed," Vivek Syiem said.
East Khasi Hills District Deputy Commissioner P S Dkhar told PTI yesterday that they had rushed a team to the village to conduct an inquiry and the magistrate had been ordered to submit a report at the earliest.