Twenty-two schoolchildren were hospitalised on Monday (July 20) after allegedly consuming castor seeds that had been mistakenly shared by a fellow student at a school in the Kandalaksha area of Kantale.
According to reports, a Grade 6 student had brought what he believed to be sunflower seeds from home and shared them with his classmates. Shortly after eating the seeds, 22 students — 20 boys and two girls — developed symptoms consistent with poisoning and were admitted to hospital for treatment.
Five of the affected children were subsequently transferred to the Trincomalee Hospital for further medical care.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the student regularly brought imported sunflower seeds to school to share with classmates, but had inadvertently brought castor seeds along with them, mistaking the toxic variety for the edible one.
Castor seeds contain ricin, a naturally occurring poison that can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and, in severe cases, serious complications if ingested. The seeds recovered from the school have been sent to the Government Analyst for examination.
Police are conducting further investigations into the incident. Health authorities have used the case to renew warnings to parents and schools about children consuming unfamiliar seeds or plant material.
