Nabarangpur: In a case of apparent food poisoning, three people including a woman and her daughter died while a minor boy was left battling for life after they consumed traditional cakes prepared from mango kernel powder in the district, officials said.
The heartrending incident was reported from Mainapadar village under Jharigaon block in the tribal-dominated Nabarangpur district. The deceased have been identified Pramila Santa (28), Namita (16) and Sudhamani (30) while Prakash Santa (6) was critical.
Meanwhile, the BDO, tehsildar, zilla parishad member and a medical team reached the village and launched a probe. The cake prepared from mango kernel power was seized. As per the probe, the tribals in the village collect mango kernel during summer and store it for rainy season. They make cakes and add it with water rice.
According to villagers, the victims prepared the cake and ate it while the men of the house had gone out for work. Soon, they complained of stomach ache. Their condition worsened and the four started vomiting followed by diarrhoea.
Before they could be brought to the local CHC, Namita breathed her last at around 2 am. With no vehicle, the family brought the other three to the CHC by a tractor from where they were shifted to Nabrangpur DHH. However, Sudhamani died on the way, the officials said. While Prakash and Pramila were under treatment, the latter breathed her last in the evening, reports said.
“Preliminary diagnosis has found it to be a case of food poisoning. The cause of death will be known after the post-mortem,” additional district medical officer Sivarani Mishra said.
It is a shame for the state that people are eating mango kernel for want of food, BJP spokesman Golak Mohapatra said. “Earlier such cases were reported from Kasipur in Rayagada district and now it has been repeated. District Collector Ajit Mishra, however, said Arjuna Santa is a well-off person who owns two tractors and a car.
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