Nine primary students in central Ha Tinh Province needed emergency hospitalisation after eating seeds they picked from the school’s yard.

Two of the poisoned students show signs of improving.

During the break on Monday afternoon, the students, studying in grade two at the Tan Giang Primary School, found seeds of the wutong plant (Firmiana simplex) on the ground and ate them.

Later in the evening, they got diarrhea, began vomiting and had to be taken to the province’s general hospital where they were found to be suffering from a severe case of poisoning.

The children admitted to doctors they had eaten seeds lying on the ground, which helped healthcare staff identify the cause faster.

Doctor Le Ngoc Thang of the hospital said immediate treatment helped stop the poison from spreading in their bodies and the students were showing signs of getting better.

The wutong plant is a popular ornamental plant species in Viet Nam because of its beautiful flowers. However, physicians have warned that its seeds are poisonous. 

VNS