3 dead, 20 hospitalised after eating at community feast in Odisha

Three persons, including a minor boy, succumbed to diarrhoea and 20 others were hospitalised after they had food at a community feast to mark a funeral ceremony in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, officials said on Friday.

Officials said the deceased as well as those affected by diarrhoea had taken food at a community feast organised at Albandha village under Gudialbandha panchayat of Mayurbhanj district on Thursday. The deceased have been identified as Rajkishore Naik (62) of Albandha village, Nidrabati Naik (50) of Karanjia village and a minor from Chauliashola village.

The chief district medical officer of Mayurbhanj, Dr Abhay Dash, said preliminary investigations have revealed that the cooked food was contaminated. “We have admitted 20 villagers at the medical college and hospital in Baripada. A team from the health department has gone to the village to asses the situation there,” said Dash.