More than 70 people, including 30 children, fell ill after attending a community feast held during a housewarming ceremony in Odisha's Balasore, officials said on Friday.
The incident occurred in Kharida village, where a resident had organised the feast on Thursday, news agency PTI reported. Those who consumed the food and water at the event began suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting on Friday, according to officials quoted in the report.
Officials suspect the illness may have been caused by contaminated food or drinking water. Samples have been collected from the village and sent for laboratory testing to determine the exact cause.
Around 50 people with severe symptoms were admitted to the Jaleswar hospital, while others were treated with first aid. Hospital authorities said all the affected people complained of diarrhoea and vomiting.
A medical team has been deployed to Kharida village to monitor the situation and provide necessary healthcare, an official said.
{{/usCountry}}A medical team has been deployed to Kharida village to monitor the situation and provide necessary healthcare, an official said.
{{/usCountry}}The latest case comes months after two major suspected food poisoning incidents were reported in different parts of the country.
Similar incident in Uttar Pradesh
In Uttar Pradesh's Amroha district in April this year, over 100 people fell ill after eating at a pre-wedding community feast in Kamalpur Kazi village, HT reported earlier.
The feast was organised as part of a wedding function and was attended by guests from nearby Haivatpur Chaudharyan village as well as local residents. Within hours of eating the food, many attendees started complaining of continuous vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain.
The outbreak affected people across age groups, including children, women and elderly villagers. The incident reportedly caused panic as several people fell sick one after another.
Over two dozen patients were admitted to nearby private hospitals and clinics for treatment, while many others received first aid.
Previous instances of food poisoning in Odisha
In another incident reported in May, four people died and 28 others fell ill after attending a funeral feast in Nuadihi village under Hemgiri block in Odisha's Sundargarh district. Residents from villages in Sundargarh and neighbouring Jharsuguda district developed vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain soon after consuming food served during the community ritual, HT reported earlier.
Health officials said six patients were referred to the district headquarters hospital in Sundargarh, while one critically ill patient was shifted to VIMSAR, Burla, for advanced treatment. The deaths were reported from both Sundargarh and Jharsuguda districts. Food samples were collected and sent for laboratory testing as part of the investigation.