A 12-year-old tribal child has died of ailments in Odisha's Rayagada district, officials said while locals claimed that the death of the boy and an elderly tribal man, who passed away three days ago, were caused due to eating mango kernel.
Six persons were also admitted at the community health care (CHC), Kashipur after eating mango kernel, locals claimed however, doctors said eight villagers were admitted to the hospital after suffering from diarrhoea.
Confirming the death of 12-year-old boy Ranjan Majhi, Rayagada Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Laxmikant Behera told PTI "The boy who died had eaten mango kernel and bamboo flower but was suferring from malaria. But, it has not been confirmed about the cause of the boy's death. How can I conclude that the boy died due to mango kernel?"
The ADM pleaded ingorance about the death of 60-year-old Shiva Majhi but added "the district administration has already asked the chief district medical officer (CDMO) to inquire into the claims made by the villagers."
The villagers, however, claimed both Ranjan and Shiva of Sipijodi village of Talajhiri panchayat under Kashipur block died after eating mango kernel in past three days.
While villagers alleged that they used to eat mango kernel due to lack of adequate food grain, the ADM said there was no shortage of food grain for the villagers as they come under the cover of National Food Security Act and given rice as per the law.
The people in certain pockets of Kashipur still consume mango kernel out of habit, the official asserted.
In the same area, about 15 years ago over 24 people had died after eating mango kernel.
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