Woman dies after night at ‘toxic’ CST resting room
In Retiring Room 1, a couple was taken violently ill and the wife died, just a day after another tourist who spent the night there was also hospitalised.
On April 22, a young couple travelling from West Bengal for a vacation in Goa decided to make a short pit-stop in Mumbai as there was no direct train. After arriving at 10:30 pm on the Madgaon Express, 28-year year-old Nazia Khatoon and 32-year-old Zia ur Rahman, a Lance Naik in the Indian army booked a retiring room at CST to stay overnight.
The couple complained of a pungent smell in Retiring Room 1 and asked for a change at 1 am, saying the odour had induced violent bouts of vomiting for both.
On Saturday morning, Zia approached an attendant saying his wife was unconscious and he too was dizzy—they had to be rushed to St George’s Hospital where Nazia was declared dead on arrival. Zia was discharged on Sunday, 24th April, after being treated. He wasn’t informed of his wife’s death till late Monday, when his condition was more stable.
This was the very day after Tejinder Singh, 55, who had spent the night in Retiring Room 1 on April 21, was also hospitalised – he is still being treated at St George’s.
The room had last been sprayed with pesticide on April 13. The Forensic Science Investigation (FSI) team has collected residual samples from the walls and furniture to check if it’s a case of residual air poisoning caused by wrong or excessive pesticide – the investigation is on and the police are waiting on a post-mortem report to determine whether it’s a case of food poisoning or inhalation of pesticide.
A senior member of the FSI team that arrived to collect the samples from the room said, on the condition of anonymity, that while they were used to foul smelling sites, they couldn’t bear the stench in Retiring Room 1 for over five minutes. The room remained blocked for access today.
A GRP official says, “They changed the room but their luggage was still lying in the same room. We also found a bottle of wine, some packets of biryani from their room which we have sent for forensic testing.” The biryani was purchased from the pantry car of the Madgaon Express the previous night.
Hanif ur Rahman said, “We were told by the cops that it is a case of food poisoning but it does not appear so. When we entered in the room to collect the luggage we were asked to wear a mask and there was a strong odour.”
He added that Zia’s symptoms, numbness in the extremities, stuttering speech patterns did not align with food poisoning.
Superintendent of St George’s Jagdish Bhavani also said, “The man suffered from shortness of breath and was semi-conscious when brought to the hospital.”
On April 22, a young couple travelling from West Bengal for a vacation in Goa decided to make a short pit-stop in Mumbai as there was no direct train. After arriving at 10:30 pm on the Madgaon Express, 28-year year-old Nazia Khatoon and 32-year-old Zia ur Rahman, a Lance Naik in the Indian army booked a retiring room at CST to stay overnight.
The couple complained of a pungent smell in Retiring Room 1 and asked for a change at 1 am, saying the odour had induced violent bouts of vomiting for both.
The Government Railway Police maintains that they were given a new room, while Zia’s brother, Hanif ur Rahman claims their room was not changed.
On Saturday morning, Zia approached an attendant saying his wife was unconscious and he too was dizzy—they had to be rushed to St George’s Hospital where Nazia was declared dead on arrival. Zia was discharged on Sunday, 24th April, after being treated. He wasn’t informed of his wife’s death till late Monday, when his condition was more stable.
This was the very day after Tejinder Singh, 55, who had spent the night in Retiring Room 1 on April 21, was also hospitalised – he is still being treated at St George’s.
The room had last been sprayed with pesticide on April 13. The Forensic Science Investigation (FSI) team has collected residual samples from the walls and furniture to check if it’s a case of residual air poisoning caused by wrong or excessive pesticide – the investigation is on and the police are waiting on a post-mortem report to determine whether it’s a case of food poisoning or inhalation of pesticide.
A senior member of the FSI team that arrived to collect the samples from the room said, on the condition of anonymity, that while they were used to foul smelling sites, they couldn’t bear the stench in Retiring Room 1 for over five minutes. The room remained blocked for access today.
A GRP official says, “They changed the room but their luggage was still lying in the same room. We also found a bottle of wine, some packets of biryani from their room which we have sent for forensic testing.” The biryani was purchased from the pantry car of the Madgaon Express the previous night.
Hanif ur Rahman said, “We were told by the cops that it is a case of food poisoning but it does not appear so. When we entered in the room to collect the luggage we were asked to wear a mask and there was a strong odour.”
He added that Zia’s symptoms, numbness in the extremities, stuttering speech patterns did not align with food poisoning.
Superintendent of St George’s Jagdish Bhavani also said, “The man suffered from shortness of breath and was semi-conscious when brought to the hospital.”
