Over 300 persons fall sick after consuming 'kuttu' flour in Sonepat

Sonepat, March 23

Over 300 persons fell sick after consuming food items prepared from buckwheat (kuttu) flour during the ongoing Navratri festival. The Health Department showed 238 patients suffering from food poisoning in their records today. A few affected people started rushing to the Civil Hospital around 9 pm on Wednesday. By midnight, the hospital was flooded with patients complaining of food poisoning.

“A total of 124 patients, complaining of vomiting, abdominal pain, giddiness and mild tremors, have been admitted to the General Hospital. A few complained of loose motion,” said Civil Surgeon Dr Jai Kishor.

The maximum number of cases were reported from Jiwan Nagar, Tara Nagar, Old DC Road, Model Town and the adjoining areas, added Kishor. He further stated that records of patients in private hospitals were also collected. As per the records, 63 patients were admitted in Tulip Hospital, 18 in Rawal Hospital, 13 in Sunehri Hospital, six in FIMS Hospital and 14 patients in Ujala Cygnus hospital.

Almost all patients were discharged from the hospitals this evening, Dr Kishor maintained.

A joint team of the CM’s Flying Squad and the Food Safety Officer, Virender Kumar, conducted raids at several shops and a flour mill in the old industrial area.

DSP Ajeet Singh, CM’s Flying Squad, said raids were conducted at eight places in Sonepat, Panipat and Karnal and samples were collected.

The team collected samples of barnyard (samak) flour, buckwheat (kuttu) flour, chestnut flour (singhara) flour and rock salt from the flour mill. Besides, the team collected samples from the Sector 14 market.

Virender Kumar said a total of six samples were collected from the flour mill and a shop in Sector 14. The main source of the supply of buckwheat flour was the mill in the old industrial area. Samples would be sent to the laboratory for examination, he added.

Deputy Commissioner Lalit Siwach directed a district- and block-level committee to check the food items available in the markets on a regular basis and directed them to report to their office on a daily basis.