Visakhapatnam: Two people died and five others were hospitalised after they consumed toddy tapped from a fishtail palm tree at Chitraiputtu under Peddabailu mandal in Visakhapatnam district on Sunday night. The deceased were identified as Budidhi Chinnabullamma, 50, and Mandalam Bagavati, 12.
They had, along with B. Chinnababu, 7, B. Vishnumurthy, 5, Budidhi Rambabu, 18, B. Madhu, 13, and Mandalam Nani Babu, 15, gone into the forest to collect firewood. While returning, they noticed toddy in a pot tied to the tree and all of them consumed it. By midnight, the toddy killed the two while there others lay convulsing.
They were rushed to Paderu area hospital from where they were referred to KGH, in Vizag. The police suspects that the pot used for the toddy might have been used to mix pesticides earlier.
