Odisha CM Orders RDC-Level Probe Into Mango Kernel Deaths In Kandhamal

Bhubaneswar: With the death of two women in the mango kernel incident in Kandhamal triggering outrage across the state, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday ordered a thorough probe into the episode at the level of RDC.

“Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed for RDC level inquiry into mango kernel death issue in Kandhamal district,” the Chief Minister’s office said.

The CM’s order comes in the wake of a statewide uproar over the death of two women allegedly after consuming gruel made of mango kernel in Kandhamal district recently.

Six others are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals as they fell critically ill in the incident.

Two women – Ramita Patmajhi and Runu Majhi – died and six others were taken ill after allegedly consuming gruel made of mango kernel at Mandipanka village in the Daringbadi block of Kandhamal on Thursday. Two among the six were shifted to SCB in Cuttack late on Saturday evening as their condition deteriorated.

Meanwhile, multi-organ failure due to fulminant hepatitis was believed to have led to the death of the two women in the mango kernel incident.

According to Director of Public Health Nilakantha Mishra, though the postmortem and food reports are yet to be received, the two patients being treated at SCB Medical College and Hospital have been diagnosed with pulmonary hepatic failure due to fungal infection.

As per Mishra, it was suspected that the mango kernel gruel, which they consumed, had developed fungal growth having been stored for over two-three days and become toxic.

Tuni Majhi (30) and Jeeta Majhi (30) were admitted to SCB with severe symptoms like high fever, persistent vomiting and signs of liver infection. A team of doctors drawn from the medicine and hepatology departments of the hospital are attending to them round-the-clock.

The condition of the remaining four affected persons is stated to be stable. No other case has been reported from the region, officials said

Notably, the state government, which has ordered a probe into the incident, had earlier attributed the deaths to food poisoning. It had also expressed serious concern over the reluctance of some communities to shun the traditional food practice despite provisioning of adequate food grains to them.