Koraput: A 30-year-old woman and her two sisters-in-law, aged 15 and 28, died after consuming a dish made using dried mango kernel at a village in Nabarangpur on Tuesday.

A six-year-old boy is undergoing treatment at the district hospital in a critical state.

The incident took place in the family of Arjun Santa at Maina Padar villge, about 100kilometres from the district headquarters town. The deceased are Arjun's wife, Sudhamani, his sister, Namita, and his sister-in-law, Pramila, 28. Arjun's son is undergoing treatment, said an official.

Arjun said the family had prepared a dish using a paste of dried mango kernel and consumed it around 10am on Monday. As he and his brother were not at home, they had not taken the dish. "Around 2am on Tuesday, the family members complained of vomiting and loose motion. Before we could do anything, my sister succumbed," said Arjun.

Arjun's son and Pramila were admitted to Jharigaon Hospital from where they were referred to the district headquarters hospital. Sudhamani died on the way to the hospital, while Pramila succumbed late in the evening.

"They died from food-poisoning and the treatment of the other two are going on. Their conditions are serious and they are being kept under observation," said Sobharani Mishra, chief district medical officer (in-charge) of Nabarangpur.

"A team of health officials visited the village on Tuesday to take stock of the situation and ascertain if any other villagers had consumed the food," she added.

The district administration has also allayed assumptions that the family members consumed the mango kernel out of poverty.

Collector Ajit Kumar Mishra said consumption of mango kernel was a traditional practice of members of tribal communities. "The family owns two tractors, a car and also gets regular quota of 20kg rice at the subsidised price of Re 1 a kg each month. On Monday, they had taken their 20kg quota. Consuming the mango kernel owing to poverty is false," he said.