Two Afghan boys killed in Poland by poisonous mushrooms
September 3, 2021
The two young brothers died after eating a soup made with poisonous deathcap mushrooms, with one of them dying late on Thursday and the second on Friday. Their family had gathered the mushrooms in a forest outside their quarantine center in the town of Podkowa Lesna, Poland, not knowing they were toxic.
A family of six, two adults and four children, had arrived in Poland on August 23 with their family after fleeing the violence in Afghanistan. The boys were aged 5 and 6. The older brother had received a liver transplant earlier in the week, but his condition did not improve.
Their 17-year-old sister was released from the same hospital in Warsaw. The doctors said the mushrooms are less toxic to adults with a greater body mass to process it.
Prosecutors probe criminal negligence
Authorities are currently investigating whether criminal negligence charges should be brought against staff at the quarantine center, where refugees must undergo a mandatory waiting period to be sure they aren't suffering from COVID-19.
The prosecutors' office in Warsaw said they were looking into the matter, but Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said earlier this week that what happened was a "tragedy, but did not result from any negligence at the center."
Authorities in Podkowa Lesna have denied suggestions that rations at the camp were insufficient, saying residents received three balanced meals a day.
es/msh (AP, AFP)