Pupils hospitalised over suspected poisoning

taken the seeds assuming that they were peanuts. Officials at the school later found some of the pupils vomiting and questioned them. They revealed that they had eaten the seeds and ambulances were summoned to the school and ferried them to the hospital.
Some of them are reported to have started vomiting after they had left the school premises, while others vomited at their homes in the area.
Some of the residents who live near the school yesterday confirmed the incident but were not aware of the number of pupils that had been taken to the hospital.
“The incident occurred today after these pupils consumed the jatropha seeds as they thought they were peanuts. I was not present when it occurred but that’s what I heard from other people,” one of the residents who preferred anonymity said.
By last night a report had not been made to the police who were also not aware of the incident. Harare provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector James Sabau, said, “So far the school authorities have not yet reported to us.”
He said in incidences like this police should not be the last to get such reports since they also want to make their on investigations.
“We also need to get quick reports for quick investigations and to ascertain what really transpired and to check any negligence on the issue. We should not be the last to have such kinds of reports,” Chief Insp Sabau said.
Police sources said the headmistress, identified as Mrs Mapondera, wanted to first inform officials in the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture before making a report to the police.
She is believed to have met some of the education officials at Harare Hospital last night. Jatropha seeds are thin shelled with a black colour. They have an oblong shape. A jatropha seed resembles a castor seed. Two to three large black and oily seeds are found in a single seed shell. The matured jatropha seeds are two-and-half centimetre long and they can be easily crushed to extract the oil. The jatropha seeds are toxic hence they are not used as food product but used to prepare inedible products like biodiesel and fertilisers.