Rajouri, Jul 10: Seven people, including six children, were hospitalised after a suspected case of food poisoning in the Kotranka area of Rajouri district, officials said on Friday.
According to reports, the affected persons fell ill after consuming wild vegetables collected from nearby forests. They were initially admitted to a local hospital and later referred to Government Medical College (GMC) and Associated Hospital, Rajouri, after their condition deteriorated.
Deputy Medical Superintendent of GMC Rajouri, Dr. Javed Iqbal, said all seven patients, comprising six children and an elderly person, were admitted on Thursday night with symptoms of food poisoning. He said treatment was started immediately and their condition has improved. All the patients are now out of danger, he added.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the consumption of wild vegetables in the hilly region. Similar cases have been reported from Kotranka in the past, including one about two months ago in which a person died due to suspected food poisoning. Around a year and a half ago, a major incident in the area claimed 17 lives.
Locals said many families in remote villages depend on wild vegetables collected from forests, but poisonous plants are sometimes mistakenly consumed due to a lack of proper identification.
Residents have urged the administration and health authorities to launch awareness campaigns in rural areas to educate people about the risks of consuming unidentified wild vegetables and prevent such incidents in the future.
