40 children fall ill after consuming poisonous seeds in northern India

At least 40 children were hospitalised after they fell ill following consumption of poisonous seeds in a jungle in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a police official said Saturday.

"The children had gone to the jungle at Sahawli village in the state's Muzaffarnagar district to play Friday. In the jungle, they had picked up the seeds and ate them. The children began vomiting soon after and were rushed to a government hospital," he said, on condition of anonymity.

While 36 children were said to be out of danger, four have been shifted to another hospital for better treatment as their condition worsened later in the night, the official said, adding forest officials have taken samples of seeds for testing.

A probe has been ordered into the incident and villagers have been advised not to let their children go to the jungle to play as it is filled with trees and plants that may bear poisonous fruits and seeds. Endit