Food Poisoning Kills Two Passengers On Board Kota-Patna Express, Six More Critical

Agra, August 21 (TNA) Two passengers on board the Kota-Patna Express died late on Sunday when the train stopped at Agra. According to information available, the deceased dup was part of a 90-member contingent which was headed for a pilgrimage to Mathura. Condition of five more is critical and they are undergoing treatment at the Railway Hospital in the Taj city.

The team of pilgrims was coming from Chattisgarh. Condition of 20 others is also serious and they are complaining of vomiting and loose motions. The health department team treated the passengers when the train reached Agra Cantt but they were later referred to the SN medical college and the Railway hospital owing to their worsening condition.

RPF Inspector Shishir Kumar Jha, posted at Agra Cantt station, said that during interrogation of the passengers, it was found that a group of 90 people had left by train on the night of August 14 for pilgrimage from Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh. All of them were aboard S-1, S-2 and S-3.

On August 16, the batch reached Banaras and stayed for two days to visit Kashi Vishwanath and other temples. On August 19, in the afternoon, a meal of rice and pumpkin curry was prepared in a Dharamshala. After packing the food in boxes, all the passengers boarded the train for Mathura at 5 pm.

Late night 20 to 25 passengers started feeling nervous, vomiting and diarrhoea. On this people gave the medicines brought along to the victims. This brought relief to some. Kumari Bai Netam (62)'s condition worsened and she died 20 km before Agra Cantt station. Seven passengers fainted. Seeing this there was an outcry and some passengers called up the control room.

Rama Nishad (65) also died by the time the train stopped at Agra Cantt station. Railway Commercial Manager of Agra Division Prashasti Srivastava said that some people were reported to be sick before train number 13237 Patna-Kota Express reached Agra. Two passengers were found dead when the train reached Agra Cantt.

Their postmortem has been done and food poisoning seems to be the cause behind the severe dehydration which led to their deaths. The actual cause of death will be known after the report comes, officials said.