Poisonous mushrooms land 8 in hospital

Seven of the family members in varying conditions are now hospitalised at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital (NRH). One has been discharged from yesterday while another is expected to be yet discharged today. According to a source privy to the incident who did not want to be named, the disaster struck around 4 pm on Tuesday after two elderly women from the family went to the bush to collect firewood. While collecting firewood from the bush in Tati Siding, the two women mistook the poisonous plants for edible mushrooms (a Setswana delicacy called Maboa).

The women are reported to have harvested poisonous mushrooms. Then what was supposed to be afternoon meal for the family turned tragic when the women returned home. According to the source, the women then asked their elderly male neighbour to confirm whether the mushrooms they had collected were edible or not. In response, the old man is said to have answered in the affirmative. The old man, the source added, then took a bite from one of the mushrooms to show that they were indeed not toxic. After eating the mushrooms meal, the family members whose ages range from two to 46, fell ill.