New Year Party Ends in Tragedy, One Died, 12 Fall Ill
Police said 10 people are undergoing treatment at a hospital, while two others, known to be critical, were admitted to another hospital
Hyderabad: What started as a New Year get-together for a residents’ welfare association ended in tragedy with the death of a person and at least 12 others falling ill due to suspected food poisoning in Bhavaninagar Colony, the Jagadgirigutta police said on Thursday.
According to Balanagar ACP P. Naresh Reddy, the deceased has been identified as Pandu, 53, a private company employee residing in Bhavaninagar with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
The ACP said that 17 members of the association gathered on Wednesday night to celebrate the New Year, with each member pooling `500. Food, including chicken and fish, was prepared at the association’s office. The party started at 7 pm and ended by 10.30 pm.
All the members reportedly started experiencing stomach ache and drowsiness. “They thought it was the alcohol. Late in the night, one of the participants, Veera Raju, had to be admitted to a hospital due to severe symptoms such as vomiting and stomach pain,” ACP Naresh said.
The association consisted of 30-40 people. The others, who were not at the party, on learning about Raju’s condition, started visiting the other attendees. On visiting Pandu’s place, the members found him lying unconscious, in a pool of vomit.
“Pandu sleeps in the hall. His wife is a kidney patient and was in the bedroom. His son and family had gone to Kerala. The association members learnt of his death and informed the wife,” Jagadgirigutta sub-inspector D. Apparao said.
The association then alerted the other attendees, advising them to seek immediate medical treatment. Subsequently, the police were also informed.
Police said 10 people are undergoing treatment at a hospital, while two others, known to be critical, were admitted to another hospital. Two others reported mild symptoms and have been taking first aid at home.
“They are all aged between 45 and 55 and hold such get-togethers very often. We are a bit surprised that this happened. They often partied very responsibly and always concluded it early. Pandu was a very good friend,” an association member told reporters at the hospital.
“Ten 10 patients have been admitted with symptoms suggestive of food poisoning. We are still evaluating the exact cause,” Dr Sumit Shekhar, assistant medical superintendent at a hospital, told Deccan Chronicle, adding that due to the consumption of multiple dishes, it was hard for doctors to pinpoint a single item.
“The patients arrived with symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness and reduced responsiveness. One patient (Raju) is on ventilator support in the ICU, while others are under close observation,” Dr Shekhar said.
Another doctor said, “At this stage, we cannot say which item may have been adulterated.” Samples of blood and urine have been sent for toxicology analysis. “Depending on the compound involved, reports may take anywhere between 48 hours and a week,” the doctor said.
According to officials, the Clues Team inspected the community hall and collected samples of cooked food, ingredients, liquor bottles and spices found at the site. Some expired food items were also reportedly found at the venue. All samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis.
“At this stage, it appears to be a case of food poisoning, but we are examining all angles, including the ingredients and liquor consumed. A couple of chilli powder packets we recovered from the venue were found to be expired,” the ACP said. Jagadgirigutta police have booked a case of death under death under suspicious circumstances.