Man dies of alleged argemone poisoning in Himachal's Kangra

In the preliminary investigation, it was found that the family had bought mustard from a local shopkeeper in the month of August and got mustard oil extracted in a local mill and were using that mustard oil which was allegedly adulterated with fatal argemone seed.

Dharamshala: A 59-year-old person died due to alleged argemone poisoning in Jwalamukhi block here in the hill state. Vijay Kumar died on November 4, but the matter caught the attention of the health department only on Thursday after the victim's son and daughter-in-law also complained of similar symptoms and visited a private hospital for a check-up.

According to the report of the health department, due to the mixing of argemone seeds in the oil, the health of the family members was affected. Vijay Kumar's condition further deteriorated leading to his death.

Chief Medical Officer of Kangra, Dr Gurudarshan Gupta, said that the sample of the oil was sent to the Kandaghat laboratory in Shimla for examination and it was found adulterated with argemone. The weed is fatal to the human body and its consumption can cause diarrhoea, swelling of knees, vomiting, redness, difficulty in breathing, loss of vision and even heart attack.

Argemone poisoning is a type of poisoning that can result from adulterated mustard oil. In the preliminary investigation, it was found that the family had bought mustard from a local shopkeeper in the month of August and got mustard oil extracted in a local mill and were using that mustard oil.

After using this oil, Kumar got diarrhoea, and there was swelling in his body with redness in his legs. For this, he kept getting treatment in different hospitals even in Chandigarh. When similar symptoms appeared in other family members, they stopped using this oil.

Deputy Commissioner of Kangra Dr Nipun Jindal said that the consumption of this poisonous mustard seed or the oil extracted from it causes a disease called dropsy. The wholesaler of this mustard seed is in Paragpur, due to which it is possible that this seed may have been sold in other areas as well. Jindal said that instructions have been given to the health department and health institutions and officials in the entire district to spread awareness.