Wild vegetable consumption in Chamba leaves 4 hospitalised, 3 missing

Four persons were hospitalised and three went missing due to mental instability after consuming a wild leafy vegetable in Chamba’s Pangi subdivision. The incident occurred in the Kusloon forest area where seven labourers reportedly experienced delirium after consuming a wild leafy vegetable during lunch. Four were rescued and are currently under treatment at the Civil Hospital, Killar, while three ran into forest in frenzy and remain missing.

According to initial reports, the workers were part of a team brought in by a contractor to carry out trolley-ropeway work in the Kusloon forest. They allegedly prepared a meal using wild greens they had collected from the forest, unaware that the plant might be toxic.

Within 15–20 minutes of consuming the meal, all seven experienced symptoms such as dry throat, dizziness and eventually became delusional. The rescued workers — identified as Raj Kumar, Des Raj, Jagdish, and Pritam Singh — recalled that after eating, they began feeling disoriented and were unable to stand or locate one another.

Contractor Khem Raj, who had initially dropped the workers at the site, was in Chamba to bring more labourers when he received information from locals over the phone about the incident. He rushed back and managed to bring four of the affected men to the hospital.

However, three others — Naresh Kumar, Gyan Chand, and Jarm Singh— are still missing. Eyewitnesses reported that the workers began behaving erratically and ran in different directions after consuming the wild greens, making it difficult to locate them. Fellow labourers managed to catch hold of some and bring them to safety, while the remaining three disappeared into the forest.

A missing persons’ report has been filed at the Pangi East police outpost. Local police, family members and the contractor have launched a search operation, but the missing workers have yet to be found despite efforts continuing for the third consecutive day.

Dr Vishal Sharma, Medical Officer in Charge at Killar Hospital, confirmed that the condition of the four hospitalized workers is stable.