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Suspected food poisoning kills two mentally challenged teens
KAPURTHALA: Two children died and 31 fell ill after suspected food poisoning at Sukhjit Ashram, a home run by the district administration for the mentally challenged,
KAPURTHALA: Two children died and 31 fell ill after suspected food poisoning at Sukhjit Ashram, a home run by the district administration for the mentally challenged, in Kapurthala on Tuesday.
Fourteen-year-old Chotu died on Monday afternoon while 16-year-old Jyoti Rani died during treatment at the civil hospital on Tuesday morning.
The condition of four — Pooja, 11; Jyoti, 22; Nirmal Kaur, 23, and Jaspreet Kaur, 23 — is said to be critical.
The ashram staff said the food was donated by five unidentified people on Sunday evening and was served for dinner. The inmates complained of vomiting and stomach ache in the wee hours of Monday.
Chotu was rushed to the civil hospital in a critical condition on Monday afternoon where doctors declared him brought dead.
Deputy commissioner Jaskiran Singh said the ashram authorities did not inform the district administration about the incident on Monday and he came to know about it after the death of the second child on Tuesday.
The deputy commissioner has ordered an inquiry and directed sub-divisional magistrate Mandeep Kaur to submit the report within three days.
“No case has been registered yet but we will take strict action against those responsible for the incident,” Singh added.
NO RECORDS OF DONORS
The food was served to the people in the ashram despite the district administration’s direction prohibiting serving of donated food. The ashram authorities also failed to maintain the record of visitors who donated the food.
The district social security officer (DSSO), who manages the ashram, evaded media queries, saying he was not in the ashram on Sunday when the food was served.
However, contradicting his statement, ashram attendant Veena said the food was accepted after the DSSO’s approval.
Kapurthala civil surgeon HS Kahlon said preliminary reports suggested the children fell ill due to food poisoning.
