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Food poisoning on train: two IRCTC officials suspended

Last Updated 16 October 2017, 14:28 IST

Two officials of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) were suspended on Monday after 26 persons were taken ill on Sunday after having breakfast on board Tejas Express luxury train.

The 22120 Karmali-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus had to be given an unscheduled halt at Chiplin, nearly 260 km from Mumbai, as the sick passengers had to be hospitalised on Sunday.

“Acting immediately on receiving the information, a show-cause notice was served to the catering contractor. Area officer of IRCTC at Madgaon and on-board manager were placed under suspension pending a fact-finding report and results of the test of food samples,” officials of the IRCTC and Central Railway (CR) said on Monday.

A committee comprising senior officers will probe the incident.

After interacting with passengers, AC mechanic, train conductor and TTEs, it was found that two tourist groups, one from Himachal Pradesh and other from Kolkata, were travelling on the train.

“The first case of uneasiness was reported after two children of the Himachal Pradesh group vomited inside the coach. The smell triggered uneasiness in co-passengers and then two more kids vomited in the same coach. This further vitiated the air in the AC coach and then two more children vomited. This triggered uneasiness in their parents,” IRCTC officials said.

Kajal Chakravarti, the tour manager of the West Bengal group, said there was no problem with the food quality they were carrying with them since 16 days of travel to various places where they halted and prepared by their own cooks.

However, on Sunday, they had also consumed the on-board breakfast.

“Feedback about the quality of food from other passengers was taken and almost all passengers gave satisfactory feedback. All food samples were collected and observed that they all were within their expiry,” the officials said.

By Monday, all the passengers were discharged.

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(Published 16 October 2017, 14:28 IST)

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