MALKANGIRI: The Malkangiri Health department has attributed the death of six villagers from remote Tulsi village to consumption of poisonous mushrooms and bamboo shoots - and not diarrhoea.
The six, including three women and a minor boy, perished over the last few days after suffering from vomiting and loose motion in the Maoist-affected village located near Chhattisgarh border.
Between September 12 and 14, a total of 64 villagers fell ill. Symptoms such as loose motion, vomiting and fever alerted the health authorities who dispatched a team led by district public health officer MM Abid Hussain to the village on September 12. The team administered saline and medications to stabilise the affected villagers.
CDMO Dhaneswar Mahapatra confirmed the six deaths and said it was due to ingestion of toxic forest mushrooms and bamboo shoots, not diarrhoea, as initially feared owing to recent floods in Malkangiri which had raised concerns about water-borne diseases.
The spate of casualties began with the death of Patbati Durua (19) and Chainu Durua (45) on September 9 and 10, respectively. The toll continued with Jhiniki Durua (65) on September 11, followed by Ramesh Durua (12) on September 11, Chaiti Durua (60) on September 12, and finally, Ayte Durua (39) at the district headquarters hospital on Saturday. Durua was initially treated at Mathili sub-divisional hospital before being referred to the district headquarters hospital, where she succumbed.
The village’s inaccessibility delayed the arrival of emergency services; a local health worker had to trek 15 km to reach the area. The health team remains stationed in Tulsi village to provide support to the affected residents.