SINGAPORE: Two people have died and some 50 people in Indonesia’s South Kalimantan province have been hospitalised due to suspected intoxication from eating the fruit of the Angel’s Trumpet plant, health authorities said.
Those affected displayed behaviour ranging from violent outbursts to delusion, with some claiming they were divine beings, local media reported.
According to Antara news agency, the patients are aged between 22 and 50. They hail from various cities and regencies in South Kalimantan including the provincial capital Banjarmasin, Banjarbaru, Banjar, Hulu Sungai Selatan and Barito Kuala.
Social media videos have gone viral of people hallucinating after eating the fruit.
In one instance, a young man believing himself to be God entered a stranger’s home, causing chaos.
A resident captured the scene on video and posted: “Early in the morning, he claims to be God, comes here intoxicated, enters someone’s house, and goes on a rampage.”
Other videos show a young man sitting amid busy traffic and another submerged in a pond, convinced he was swimming among the clouds.
Mr Budi Harmanto, head of public relations and information at the Sambang Lihum psychiatric hospital in Banjar regency, told local media that the patients arrived in a state of delirium. Some needed to be isolated due to aggressive behaviour.
Four patients have recovered and been discharged, while two died on Jul 7 and 8.
The authorities are investigating the cause.
“We are still identifying the victims. Speculation on social media points to Angel’s Trumpet as the cause. However, we cannot confirm this yet. The victims are currently unable to provide statements,” said Police Chief Commissioner Adam Erwindi, spokesperson for the South Kalimantan Police, as quoted by news outlet Kompas.
Police are also tracking the distribution of pills suspected to contain extracts of Angel’s Trumpet.
One individual has been arrested and the police have 20,000 unmarked white pills as evidence.
The Banjarbaru Police incinerated wild Angel’s Trumpet plants on Jul 15 to prevent further incidents.
WHAT IS ANGEL’S TRUMPET?
Angel’s Trumpet, scientifically known as Datura metel L., is a tropical plant commonly found in Africa and Asia. In Indonesia, it is called kecubung.
Its most notable feature is its large, trumpet-shaped flowers that measure between 20 and 30 cm.
Its fruit is small, round, green and spiky. According to the website of Singapore’s National Parks Board, various parts of the plant are toxic, especially the seeds.
Belonging to the Solanaceae family, it contains various harmful compounds including alkaloids like scopolamine, saponins, flavonoid glycosides and polyphenols. These substances induce hallucinations and delirium, similar to the effects of substances found in cannabis.
Mr Dimas Asto Aji An’amta, a sociologist at Lambung Mangkurat University, said intoxication from Angel’s Trumpet is not a new phenomenon in Banjarmasin, but one that has attracted greater attention due to social media.
“For some people, it’s seen as an ‘alternative drug’ that is cheap and easy to obtain,” Mr Dimas was quoted as saying by Kompas.
Its seeds are sometimes used to achieve hallucinogenic and euphoric effects, but experts said the hallucinations are often accompanied by prolonged dizziness and vomiting.
Consequently, there have been calls for Angel’s Trumpet to be categorised as a narcotic plant.
Experts have advised that the plant may increase blood pressure and cause stroke or death when consumed in large quantities.
