Khalapur food poisoning claims one more life, toll rises to 5

The Khalapur food-poisoning incident has claimed one more life and 7 people are put on ventilator. A house-warming lunch at the Mane farmhouse turned deadly for the hosts and the guests.

A report in Hindustan Times states that 21 of the 88 patients continue to be under treatment after being admitted to various hospitals on Monday after eating at a house-warming ceremony in Khalapur taluka’s Mahad village.

Of the five fatalities, four are children. Within hours of eating at Subhas Mane’s house-warming party, three young children – Kalyani Shingote, 7, Rishikesh Shinde, 12 and Pragati Shinde, 13 – passed away. On Thursday afternoon, Pragati’s younger brother Vijay Shinde, 11, who was in a critical condition, died at Chirayu hospital in Panvel. Later in the evening, Gopinath Nakure, 53, passed away at Sukham hospital in Panvel.

Purshottam Thorat, tehsildar in charge of Khalapur, said: “Of the 88 patients admitted to various hospitals in Navi Mumbai on Monday, 21 are still being treated in Panvel hospitals. Five patients have died, 18 are in ICU and seven of these 18 patients are on ventilator.” He added that three patients have recovered, but are yet to be discharged, while three patients at DY Patil hospital in Nerul were discharged on Thursday night.

Thorat said officials are still to identify what exactly caused the food poisoning. “The post-mortem reports have confirmed food poisoning, but the ingredient that led to it is yet to be identified. We are awaiting a detailed report from the forensic lab, where we have sent food samples. Once that comes, the picture will be clearer.”

Image Courtesy/ Hindustan Times