Over 120 hospitalised due to food poisoning on Janmashtami in Mathura; 2 vendors booked

People being treated at a district hospital as their health deteriorated following the consumption of suspected food poisoning, in Mathura/ PTI

Over 120 people, including women and children, were hospitalised with food poisoning after consuming foods made from contaminated buckwheat flour during Janmashtami celebrations in Mathura, officials said on Tuesday. The incident took place throughout numerous villages in the Farah police station area. Individuals who were fasting for Janmashtami suffered symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, and shivering after consuming buckwheat flour-based 'puris' and 'pakodas', reported PTI.

Priyanka, a teenager admitted to the government hospital, told PTI, "We had fritters made from buckwheat flour last night. After that, I started vomiting and felt a burning sensation in my stomach."

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Pritam Singh, a resident of Parkham village, noted that many people became ill after consuming the fritters, the report added. "The buckwheat flour was purchased from a local shop in the village," he said.

According to the PTI report, Health Department staff acted quickly, with patients being treated at the Farah Community Health Centre (CHC). As the number of cases increased, patients were sent to Mathura's District Hospital, Vrindavan's 100-bed Joint Hospital, and Agra's SN Medical College.

By Tuesday morning, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Ajay Kumar Verma reported that over 60 patients had been admitted to various hospitals, with the figure subsequently increasing to over 120. He emphasised that those who showed signs of progress would be discharged quickly.

The afflicted people come from villages including Parkham, Baroda, Mirzapur, Makhdoom, and Khairat. They bought the buckwheat flour from two local suppliers, Jhagdu and Rajkumar, who got their supplies from large grocery stores in Farah.

Following the event, District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar Singh directed the District Food and Drug Administration to raid and close the suppliers' stores. Police are currently looking for the accused shopkeepers. The Food and Drug Administration is also collecting samples from local stores and taking legal action against individuals involved.

All victims are believed to be in stable condition and receiving continued treatment.