ONE hunter has died and four others were hospitalised after a suspected case of poisoning on Saturday night at a hunting camp in Ecclesville, Rio Claro,
The deceased, 65-year-old Vishnu Dipchan, was part of a group that ventured approximately four miles into the Cushe forest, off Legendre Road.
Around 7.30 pm, Dipchan and fellow hunters Rajkumar Baksh, 42, Basdeo Rambharose, 58, Jaggernath Ramnath, 66, and Arjoon Persad, 40, began experiencing symptoms of nausea and vomiting after drinking coffee.
Other members of the hunting party contacted relatives for assistance. The affected men were rushed to the Rio Claro Health Facility. Dipchan was pronounced dead at 11.57 pm.
The four other hunters—Baksh, Rambharose, Ramnath, and Persad—were transferred to the Sangre Grande Hospital for further treatment.
Meanwhile, others in the party were treated and discharged after observation at the Rio Claro facility.
In the wake of the incident, samples of the coffee, water, and sugar consumed by the hunters were collected and handed to the police for investigation.
Authorities are now working to determine the cause of the poisoning.
