50 fall ill in Nagpur after consuming food, snacks during 'Mahashivratri' fast

Nagpur: More than 50 persons in Maharashtra's Nagpur district suffered from food poisoning after consuming snacks and other eatables while observing fast on the occasion of 'Mahashivratri', officials said on Sunday.

The victims belonged to Kamptee in the district and some areas of Nagpur city.

They had observed fast on the 'Mahashivratri' festival on Friday.

After consuming the 'farali' (meant for consumption during fast) snacks made of sago, potatoes and other items purchased from some shops and roadside stalls in Kamptee, several persons complained of upset bowel movements, stomachache and vomiting, a police official said.

In Ganesh Nagar area of the city, seven members of a family suffered from food poisoning after consuming 'jalebis' (sweets) and other eatables made from water chestnut flour on Friday, officials from Dhantoli police station said.

A cloth trader from Nanga Putla area in Itwari fell ill after consuming 'prasad' from a religious place on Friday, they said.

A person from Vardhaman Nagar area in Nagpur fell ill after consuming meal late Friday night, while an elderly woman from Rana Pratap Nagar complained of food poisoning after consuming 'kadhi', the officials said.

The affected persons were admitted to different hospitals and most of them were discharged after treatment on Saturday, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-V) Niketan Kadam said the police have collected food samples from some shops in Kamptee and they would be sent to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) department for analysis.