Hundreds Fall Sick After Taking Khichuri at Urs
3 killed in food poisoning, 23 still in critical condition
Victims of serious food poisoning after taking khichuri at an Urs (religious congregation) at Aish Dhal village in Saidpur upazila of Nilphamari district receive treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital yesterday. Photo: STAR
Three people died in last two days while at least 23 others are still in critical condition due to food poisoning after taking khichui at an Urs (religious congregation) in Saidpur upazila of Nilphamari district on Sunday morning. Around 2,000 people were attacked with diarrhoea after taking khichuri made of rice, pulse, vegetables and beef at the Urs held at the shrine of Pir Daud Ali Khandakar at Aish Dhal village of Kamar Pukur union in Saidpur upazila, said officials. Selim, 7, son of Budaru Mamud of Purbo Aishdhal village in Saidpur upazila of Nilphamari, and Surovi, 5, daughter of Sharifuddin of Sontoshpur village in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur, died on Monday while, Akkas Ali, 33, of Kacharipara in Sayedpur died at Rangpur Medical College Hospital yesterday. "Excessive dehydration caused death of Selim and Akkas. Of the 90 people now undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital, condition of 23 is critical," said Toufiqul Islam, director of Rangpur Medical College Hospital. People caught diarrhoea after eating the food that was served long after preparation and kept in banned polythene bags, said Dr Abdul Mazid, civil surgeon of Nilphamari. "In general, conditions of the patients are improving. A mobile medical team is working in the area and giving treatment door to door," he said. Fazlul Haque Tansen, resident medical officer of Nilphamari Sadar Modern Hospital, set up eight medical camps in the affected villages while Moazzem Hossain, medical officer of Sayedpur Hospital, 10 others. People from 15 villages of Saidpur upazila and Badarganj and Targanj upazilas of Rangpur attended the Urs held at Aish Dhal on Saturday night, locals said. In the next morning, the organisers distributed khichuri among about 10,000 people who attended the programme. Many of them shared the food with their family members considering it 'sacred'. But after taking the khichuri, many people had vomiting with loose motion from Sunday night. Villages with larger number of affected people are Aish Dhal, Kamarpukur, Pirpara, Haji Para Hajirbottola, Thakur Para, Nijbari, Kacharipara, Jeje Para, Doctor Para, Kaji Pukur of Kamarpukur union of Sayedpur and Santoshpur village of Badarganj upazila of Rangpur. The organisers started cooking the food Saturday noon and distributed it Sunday dawn but sons of Pir Daud Khandakar Abdul Mannan and Abdul Baten were not found in the area since the diarrhoea breakout, locals said. Sirajul Islam, resident medical officer of Saidpur 50-bed Hospital, said, "A large number of patients from different villages started thronging the hospital on Monday morning. Within a short time, diarrhoea patients filled the hospital. Most of them were lying on the floor. We sent 30 patients to Rangpur Medical College Hospital as their condition was more serious." Around 300 people took treatment at the hospital. Most of them were released yesterday morning as their condition improved. Several patients with severe condition were referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, said the director of Rangpur Medical College Hospital. The Nilphamari district administration formed a two-member inquiry team comprising upazila nirbahi officer and upazila health and family planning officer of Saidpur to probe the incident of widespread food poisoning.
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