As many as 58 people fell ill after eating offerings at a religious event in Jonai in Dhemaji district. They have been admitted to Assam Medical College Hospital, Dibrugarh for further treatment.
The deceased has been identified as 30-year-old Arun Kumar, a resident of Jonai. The deceased has been identified as 30-year-old Arun Kumar, a resident of Jonai. The religious ceremony was attended by devotees and locals who were given gifts of groundnut, beet, bundia, bhujia and fruits. No one had any physical problems after the event. But about 12 hours after that, on July 1, many people attending the event started experiencing severe vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
The injured women, men and children were taken to Jonai Primary Health Center for first aid. However, as the number of patients gradually increased and required some specialized treatment, 58 of them were referred to the Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh in July. The patients were brought to Dibrugarh by ambulance on Wednesday night where emergency medical teams were ready to deal with the situation.
All the patients are currently under medical observation and are in stable condition, hospital sources said. No casualty was reported in this incident. The district administration and health department have started investigating the incident. Officials are said to collect samples of offerings and other food items served at religious gatherings for laboratory testing to find out the true cause of the suspected food poisoning.