More than 150 people reportedly fell sick after eating prasad during a community puja in Daspur, located in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district, according to police reports on Sunday.
Police sources stated that a Manasa Puja was held on Saturday night, drawing a large crowd to the event. Following the consumption of the prasad, several attendees began experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, with women and children among those affected.
In response, a medical camp was established on Sunday morning to provide immediate treatment to the victims. Block administration officials also rushed to the area, amid commotion in Suratpur village under the Daspur police station jurisdiction.
A senior police officer noted that the Manasa Puja is a longstanding tradition in the village. On Saturday, the puja committee served khichri as the prasad to devotees. Approximately 300 people consumed it, and more than half reportedly fell ill shortly afterward. The authorities were notified immediately about the incident.
Daspur Block Development Officer Dipankar Biswas coordinated medical assistance, ensuring that victims received care since Saturday night. Primary treatment is ongoing at the health department’s medical camp, and officials, including Biswas, visited the site on Sunday to assess the situation.
Daspur Panchayat Samiti President Sukumar Patra also reached the village to review conditions. Police confirmed that five individuals in critical condition have been sent to hospitals for further treatment.
Investigations are underway, including the collection of water samples, to determine whether contaminated water may have contributed to the outbreak. Meanwhile, Patra stated that the situation is now under control.
(With IANS Inputs)
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
