175 people fall ill after consuming ‘contaminated’ food in Jharkhand

At least 175 people — the majority of them children — fell ill after allegedly consuming contaminated food at a Mahashivratri fair in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, officials said on Monday.

The incident occurred in Dwarka village under the Panki police station limits, where villagers from nearby hamlets had gathered for the religious festivities in the Raghua Khad area. According to Palamu civil surgeon Dr Anil Kumar Shrivastav, those affected began reporting symptoms of suspected food poisoning late Sunday night.

“Altogether, 175 people were admitted to the Panki Community Health Centre (CHC). At present, 22 are still undergoing treatment, while the others have been discharged after their condition improved,” he said. The patients complained of vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain.

Health officials suspect that contaminated food served at the fair triggered the outbreak, though the exact cause will be confirmed only after laboratory investigation reports are received.

The annual Mahashivratri fair had drawn residents from Dwarka, Yadav Tola, Jamuatand and several surrounding villages. Many of the affected were children who had attended the celebrations with their families.

Following the incident, the health department rushed additional medicines and medical personnel to the Panki CHC. The civil surgeon said doctors have been instructed to ensure uninterrupted treatment and adequate availability of beds, medicines and staff.

Authorities said the situation is now under control and that the department remains on alert to handle any further emergency arising from the incident.

With PTI inputs