A nine-year-old girl died and 18 others, mostly children, fell ill after allegedly consuming some snack at a village market in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place in Devkirari village under Bilha police station limits, on Monday, an official said. As per preliminary information, the victims had eaten gupchup, a spicy snack commonly known as pani puri, from a pushcart vendor in the village market on Sunday and complained of vomiting and stomachache the next day, he said.
The affected persons, mostly children, were rushed to Bilha community health centre on Monday night, from where four children in serious condition were referred to the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur, he said. “Of the four children, one identified as Meenaskhi Koshle was declared dead on arrival at the CIMS. Parents of two remaining children later shifted them to private hospitals,” he said.
At least 15 people, mostly children, were undergoing treatment at the community health centre, the official said, adding that a probe has been launched in this regard. "Prima facie, food poisoning seems to be the cause for the illness. However, further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact reason,” said Dr Pramod Mahajan, the district's chief medical and health officer (CMHO).