Five women died and two fell ill after consuming homemade food in a Chhattisgarh village, police said on Wednesday.
Seven middle-aged women began to vomit after eating on Tuesday night in Kilkila village in Jashpur district, 480 kms northeast of Raipur. Five of them were declared brought dead at a private hospital while two others are battling for life, district superintendent AR Korram said on the phone.
The feast was organised by a Gond tribal woman, Sukunti Bai, to celebrate the birth of a baby on February 11. Police have formally registered a case and begun investigations into the cause of death.
"There was some traditional food offered to select women guests. As per preliminary investigations, we do not see any conspiracy angle," Korram added.