Four elementary school students taking graduation photos in a park in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, ate royal azalea flowers, which belong to the Ericaceae family, and exhibited symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting, leading to their treatment at a hospital. All are in stable condition with no life-threatening issues.
According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and others on the 8th, a 119 call reporting a student complaining of abdominal pain was received around 12:37 p.m. the previous day from a school health teacher at an elementary school in Oksandong, Anseong. At that time, 11 sixth-grade students from that elementary school were found to have picked and eaten royal azaleas while taking graduation album photos in a nearby park.
Two of them showed symptoms of vomiting and abdominal pain and were transported to a nearby hospital by paramedics. Another two students were also taken to the hospital through their guardians. The remaining seven students reportedly did not show any notable symptoms.
Royal azaleas, which belong to the Ericaceae family, contain a toxic substance called grayanotoxin. Therefore, eating royal azaleas can induce symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, and respiratory distress. Since azaleas, which are also part of the Ericaceae family, contain this toxin, they are inedible.
The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has conveyed information regarding prohibited plants to each school. It plans to continue to provide related notices in the future.