Five farmhands in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have died after ingesting a poisonous herb known as "heartbreak grass" on Monday, local authorities said Tuesday.
The 10 migrant workers, who were employed at a farm in Baihe Village, Mengshan County, began to show symptoms of poisoning early Monday morning. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, five had died.
The county government said highly toxic gelsemine had been detected in the workers' cups and vomit, suggesting they might have accidentally digested Gelsemium elegans, which is called heartbreak grass in Chinese.
The plant contains gelsemine, which when ingested can cause dizziness, convulsion and, in some cases, death.
In 2011, billionaire Long Liyuan from south China's Guangdong Province died from ingesting the plant when a local official spiked his meal.
