Eight die, 200 hospitalized after church feast in India

New Delhi, May 30, 2017: At least eight people have died and hundreds remain hospitalized after suspected food poisoning at a church feast in a remote northeastern Indian state, police said on Tuesday.

Hundreds of worshippers vomited and complained of stomach ache after they ate rice and pork after mass in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya state.

Of them, 80 were admitted to the Nongpoh Civil Hospital, 33 to the Umsning CHC, 23 to the Bhoilymbong health facility and the rest to the Shillong Civil Hospital, NEIGRIHMS and Ganesh Das Hospital, he added.

Following a preliminary enquiry, Food Safety officials did not rule out that the packed rice and pork served after the church service was stale and unfit for consumption.

Samples of the food were collected today and sent to the Guwahati-based Public Health Laboratory, Joint Commissioner, Food Safety, SN Sangma said.

The victims are residents of 10 adjoining villages.

– abbta.tv