Palamu: A suspected case of food poisoning left more than 100 villagers ill in Bohita village of Jharkhand’s Palamu district after they consumed food at a wedding feast, officials said on Thursday.
The feast had been organised by Harishankar Chandravanshi on Wednesday evening ahead of the wedding ceremony of his son Lavkush Sharma. Villagers and guests were served food items including puris, vegetables and bundi.
Shortly after the meal, several attendees began experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, dizziness and intense stomach pain. By the next morning, the number of affected villagers increased sharply as more people reported falling sick.
According to local resident Sudeshwar Singh, some villagers felt sudden weakness and dizziness while heading to the fields early in the morning, and soon it became clear that a large number of people had been affected.
The situation created panic in the village as the number of patients crossed 100. Around 10 people who developed serious complications were shifted to Medininagar Medical College and Hospital and the Community Health Centre in Lesliganj for advanced treatment.
To manage the situation, the district administration quickly set up a temporary treatment facility at the primary school in Pokharpar Tola. With limited beds available, many patients were treated on mats laid out in the school’s veranda while being given saline.
Palamu Civil Surgeon Dr Anil Kumar Srivastava visited the village with a team of health officials to supervise the medical response. He directed that critically ill patients be moved to hospitals immediately and ensured that others receive treatment at the village camp.
Authorities have deployed four ambulances in the area to handle emergencies.
Health officials suspect the illness to be a case of food poisoning, though confirmation will come only after laboratory examination of the food samples. A medical team has been stationed in the village to monitor the situation and provide continuous treatment to those affected.
With inputs from IANS