Malda (West Bengal): At least 500 people have been taken ill due to suspected food poisoning in the Hamidpur area of West Bengal’s Malda district, health officials said Tuesday.
Seventy persons among those taken ill were hospitalised at the Bangitola Rural hospital Monday after they started vomiting and experienced stomach acute ache, said Koushik Mistri, a health official. Most of the patients admitted to the hospital were from Sibutola, Sripur, Tinghoria and Jogoltola villages, he informed.
Ten persons are still undergoing treatment at the Bangitola hospital while two patients have been referred to Malda Medical College and Hospital as their conditions deteriorated.
Mistri said the people may have taken ill after consuming food at a Shivratri fair which is on in a locality called Sibutola.
After receiving news that hundreds of people have fallen ill, Mothabari MLA Sabina Yeasmine, block development officer of Kaliachak 2 block Sanjay Ghising and Mistri had rushed to the area.
A special medical team was formed and two medical camps had been opened to treat the patients.
Yeasmine said the people may have taken ill after consuming food at a ‘kirtan’ (devotional song) programme.
Ghising said five ambulances have been sent to the affected villages and an initiative has been taken by the Public Health Engineering Department to disinfect around 200 tubewells. The samples of drinking water have been sent to a laboratory for tests, he informed.
PTI