Mushroom poisoning kill 15, scientists rushed

Guwahati, Apr 04(UNI) With the death of 15 people and 45 others falling ill on consuming poisonous mushroom in upper Assam, specially in the Golaghat, Sivsagar and Jorhat districts during the past few days, the Assam Government has rushed a team of agricultural scientists to Golaghat.

Assam Agricultural Minister Prameela Rani Brahama told UNI that she had asked Assam Agricultural University (AAU) Vice-Chancellor S S Vagel to look into the incident which has spiralled into a major crisis.

According to official source, seven persons, including children, have died after consuming poisonous mushroom in Golaghat on Wednesday night. The victims fell ill after eating mushroom collected from a jungle of Bahupathar.

The victims are Aroti Barua (27), Lucky Barua, Lakhimi Barua (10), Gautam Barua (5), Rinki Gogoi (4), Rosy Gogoi (11), and Jakir Hussain (11). Several others are undergoing treatment.

In Jorhat district, five persons had died after eating mushroom since last week, the sources said.

Mrs Brahma said two scientists had already reached Golaghat and they would examine why the mushrooms were turning poisonous with such regularity.

The district authorities have ordered an inquiry and asked through the people were asked not to eat mushrooms through the public information system.

Wild mushrooms, which grow all over the jungles of Upper Assam during this time, is considered a high protein delicacy. But people often fail to distinguish between the eatable and poisonous wild mushrooms as both looks almost identical.

The health official from Jorhat informed that poisonous mushroom had high degree of poison and very often it becomes fatal.

UNI MT KK DB1631