Guwahati: The Barpeta district administration on Thursday issued prohibitory orders regarding the sale and distribution of different varieties of grams and moong beans across the district following Wednesday's food poisoning incident that claimed three lives, including that of a 10-year-old girl.
On Thursday, postmortems were conducted on the deceased.
Over 500 people, including women and children, fell ill after consuming adulterated prasad at a religious ceremony in Nasattra, a village in the district, on Monday evening. Most people who attended the ceremony complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach ailments and dehydration.
On Thursday, the shops from which the grams, moong beans and other food items for the ceremony were purchased were raided and the remainder of the supplies was seized by the district administration. The actual source from which the items were purchased is yet to be identified. Officials on Thursday said the ceremony was a public one and many people from outside the district also brought food items as offerings.
Barpeta DC Varnali Deka on Wednesday ordered an inquiry and constituted a committee, comprising the district joint director of health, the circle officer and food safety officer, among others.
"Section 144 has been imposed and there can be no sale and distribution of grams and moong beans across the district till further notice. This has been issued in view of public health and safety. Grams and moong beans have been seized from the concerned shops," Deka said.
"It is difficult to trace the original source of the items. People brought edible offerings from Bongaigaon and Nalbari districts also. We believe the contaminated food came from multiple sources," added Deka.
On Wednesday evening, close to 80 patients were referred to Gauhati Medical College Hospital for further treatment. On Thursday, the joint director of health said most of the patients admitted in Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College Hospital were responding to treatment and had stabilized.
Samples of the adulterated food have been sent to the food safety department laboratory in the city. Vomit and stool samples from the patients have also been collected for tests. The samples have also been sent to the forensic department to determine the presence of toxins.
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