More than 150 people fell ill after eating golgappa from a local vendor in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthnagar district, and more than 30 of them, including children, have been hospitalised, in what is being treated as a suspected case of mass food poisoning during the Diwali festivities.
The illness was reported in Kalanakhor Pedari village and two to three nearby villages under the Khesraha police station area. A doctor on emergency duty told reporters that more than 150 people had fallen ill and been admitted to hospitals, a figure that the doctor's account and the reports carrying it describe in the same terms.
The doctor said around 30 to 33 patients had been admitted to the Emergency Department so far. He said around 18 children had been admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit, and 15 patients were above the age of 15 years.
The doctor said people developed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea two days after consuming food and drinks from a golgappa vendor in a village under the Khesraha police station area. He said two or three of those admitted were in serious condition but that all of them were now stable. He added that more patients were on their way to the hospital, and said information had been received that more patients were arriving by bus.
Reports from several news agencies carried the same account of the Siddharthnagar cases, including the number of people affected and the number admitted. The reports said the incident had caused panic in the villages concerned.
A similar case of food poisoning was reported last month from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi district. Around 102 people fell ill after eating khasta, a snack described in some reports as junk food, at a fair in Kotwa village. Seventeen of them, including children, were admitted to hospital.
In the Amethi case, a team from the state Health Department reached the village after people complained of vomiting and diarrhoea. The Chief Medical Officer also reached the spot and personally supervised the medical examination and treatment of those affected. During the inspection, 39 children and 63 adults were found to be ill. The Chief Medical Officer said the health department team had reached the village following a complaint from the village head and was investigating the matter when the report was filed, and that the situation was under control.
The reports available do not identify the vendor's food as the confirmed cause of the illness in Siddharthnagar, and the cases are described as suspected. The available reports do not state the outcome of any investigation into the Siddharthnagar cases.