Srinagar, 25 November (H.S.): Eleven members of a family from Mawar Nowgam village in north Kashmir’s Handwara fell ill today after reportedly consuming a wild herb.

The patients, who are said to be stable, are currently undergoing treatment at Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara.

CMO, Associated District Hospital GMC Handwara, Dr. Harleen Kour, said the family had consumed “some kind of herb,” after which they developed symptoms including nausea, and several of them lost consciousness.

“We received these patients at around 1 am. All 11 belong to the same family from Nowgam. They had consumed some sort of herb that led to food poisoning,” she said.

She said the patients were shifted to the hospital after becoming unconscious and showing other related symptoms.

“Six are women, five are men, and three among them are children. All are stable. They are receiving the necessary treatment and have been managed here,” Dr. Kour added.

She said there was no need to panic as the symptoms were not severe and the medical staff had handled the situation effectively. “But people should always check what they consume.”

Muhammad Altaf Khan, a relative of the affected family, said they had cooked wild herbs, which led to the poisoning.

“They fell unconscious, and we referred them to GMC Handwara. Most of them are stable, though a few still need monitoring. These herbs are collected from forests,” he said.

Asked about the nature of the herb, he added: “Only the patients would know exactly what they ate. After we brought them here, the doctors intervened in time. They have received good treatment.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar