3 die, 500 ill after eating ‘prasad’ in Assam

Guwahati: Three persons died and over 500 have been taken ill in Assam’s Barpeta district after consuming adulterated grams given to them as ‘prasad’ at a religious ceremony.
The trio, including a 10-year-old girl, died at the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College Hospital, Barpeta, on Wednesday.
On Monday evening, a large number of people took part in a religious function at Nasattra village in the district where they ate the adulterated grams.They complained of nausea, stomach ailments and dysentery after taking the ‘prasad’.
Hospital superintendent Pradip Ojha told TOI on Wednesday that altogether 545 people were admitted to the hospital since Tuesday morning and of them 130 were children.
The district administration on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the incident. An FIR has also been lodged at Barpeta police station. Barpeta DC Varnali Deka formed a committee to look into the matter. She asked the officials to find out from where the grams were brought by the villagers. “A sample of the prasad has been sent to the state food safety department on Wednesday,” the DC said.