Four members of a family from Balia village under Anandapur subdivision in Keonjhar district were rushed to the hospital in critical condition after allegedly consuming poisonous wild mushrooms for lunch on Tuesday.
According to local sources, the family had foraged mushrooms from nearby forested areas, unaware that they might be toxic. Shortly after their meal, all four family members began displaying symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. Alarmed neighbours immediately helped transport them to Anandapur Sub-Divisional Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment under close medical supervision.
Doctors suspect mushroom toxicity as the primary cause behind the sudden illness and have sent samples for laboratory analysis. Their condition is reported to be serious but stable as of the latest medical bulletin.
Local authorities have launched an awareness drive warning residents against consuming unfamiliar or wild mushroom varieties. Incidents like this raise concerns about food safety practices in rural areas and highlight the need for better public education on identifying edible fungi.
Further investigations are underway.
