Over 400 Fall Ill After Consuming Contaminated Sharbat During Muharram Procession in Banswara, Rajasthan
Tragedy strikes Muharram procession in Banswara, Rajasthan. Over 400 people suffer food poisoning after consuming contaminated sharbat. Investigation underway, many hospitalized. Get the latest updates here.
Banswara, Rajasthan - July 16th: A Muharram procession in Banswara, Rajasthan, turned into a medical emergency on Tuesday night after over 400 people fell ill with vomiting and diarrhea after consuming sharbat (a sweet drink) distributed during the procession.
Three children were initially admitted to the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital. The situation escalated between midnight and 1 am as more affected individuals arrived at the hospital. The large number of patients overwhelmed medical staff, prompting some procession participants to break into a nearby dispensary to obtain ORS and other medicines.
Fortunately, three doctors arrived at the dispensary and provided medical attention to around 105 people. In total, over 400 people sought treatment at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, with approximately 100 still hospitalized.
District administration officials responded swiftly upon receiving information about the incident. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the mass illness. The Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) confirmed that samples of the sharbat have been collected for testing.
Shoaib Khan, the head of Anjuman Islamia, a Muslim socio-religious organization, revealed that the incident occurred around midnight. A community stall distributed sharbat during the procession, and shortly after, hundreds of people, including women and children, became sick.
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