At least 14 children fell ill after consuming the fruit of a Barbados Nut tree, mistaking it for almonds, at Saharabaria village in Gangni upazila of Meherpur on Sunday afternoon.
Nine of the children were hospitalised at the Gangni Upazila Health Complex after they developed severe stomach pain, vomiting, and physical weakness.
The hospitalised children have been identified as Mostakin, 12; Kafi, 12; Amena Khatun, 3; Halima, 9; Roktima, 11; Riyad, 11; Ferdous, 10; Fuad, 12; and Mostakim, 9. Five other children were provided with local treatment.
According to locals, the children were playing in a field in the afternoon when they noticed a tree by the roadside.
Attracted by the fruit’s resemblance to almonds and its sweet taste, several children began eating them.
While they initially showed no symptoms, the children began experiencing severe stomach pain and vomiting shortly after returning home in the evening.
Mostakin, one of the affected children, said, “We were playing and saw the fruit on a roadside tree. It looked like almonds. I didn’t have any problems after eating a few, but once I got home at night, my stomach started hurting badly and I vomited repeatedly.”
Another child, Roktima, added that she ate the fruit because everyone else was. “It tasted sweet. Then suddenly my stomach started hurting. I was very scared,” she said, adding that she felt better after receiving treatment.
Fuad, another victim, said they were unaware the fruit was inedible. Concerned parents, Asharul Islam and Rabiul, expressed their alarm, noting that while the ‘Jiyala’ tree as it is locally known is common, many in the village were unaware that its fruit is toxic.
Umar Faruq, medical officer at Gangni Upazila Health Complex, identified the plant as the Barbados Nut, a foreign species.
He explained that both the fruit and leaves of the tree contain toxic elements.
“Consuming these can lead to stomach pain, vomiting, severe diarrhoea, and various physical complications,” Faruq said.
He confirmed that the children have received necessary medical care and are now out of danger, but advised that anyone showing symptoms after eating such fruit should be rushed to a hospital immediately.
