Six kids eat jatropha seeds, critically ill

RAIPUR - Six children fell critically ill after eating the seeds of a poisonous jatropha plant in a Chhattisgarh village near here, an official said Saturday.

The kids were admitted to a government hospital after they ate the seeds Friday evening while playing near a pond at Tuta village, about 30 km from Raipur.

“Six children are in hospital at Raipur. Their condition is serious,” hospital superintendent Vivek Choudhary told reporters.

Some agricultural scientists say that while eating two seeds would act as a purgative, four or more seeds can cause death.

Jatropha plant grows up to three metres and produces inedible fruits. Several states, including Chhattisgarh, have been planting its saplings in millions in a bid to extract bio-fuel from it.