In a shocking incident, over hundreds of people fell ill after consuming prasad during a religious event in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district in a case of food poisoning.

The incident occurred on Tuesday night during the ‘Harinam Saptah’, which was a week-long religious event, at Somthana village in Lonar taluka of Maharashtra.

Due to a shortage of beds, several patients were getting treated outside a hospital with saline bottles hung from the ropes that were hooked to the trees.

As per the reports, devotees from Somthana and Khaparkhed villages came to the temple at 10 p.m. to take prasad. They complained of stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting after eating the prasad.

Villagers were immediately rushed to the hospital located in Bibi village after experiencing nausea, dizziness, and fainting spells. But, due to a shortage of beds, many of them had to be treated outside the hospital. Visuals from the site showed saline bottles were hung from ropes attached to nearby trees, and hundreds of patients lay on the ground.

In Somthana village, it was the sixth day of the religious program. Prasad was distributed among 400 to 500 people, as it was an ekadashi. Several people complained of food poisoning, and now they are being treated.

Kiran Patil, Buldhana District Collector, stated that samples of prasad have been sent to a laboratory for analysis, and an inquiry will be initiated.

In a similar case, around 2,000 people suffered from food poisoning after consuming food at a religious event held at a village in Maharashtra's Nanded district. On February 6, a religious event was held in Koshtwadi village, where locals and people from nearby Sawargaon, Postwadi, Risangaon, and Maski villages gathered and consumed food at around 5 p.m. The people started complaining of vomiting and loose motions in the wee hours of February 7.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)