Ghaziabad: Several fall ill after consuming food prepared with Kuttu flour

Several people were admitted to the hospital with complaints of abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhoea at Dabana village in Ghaziabad. The samples of the flour have been sent for examination.

New Delhi/ Ghaziabad: As many as 17 people fell sick after they consumed food prepared with Kuttu (buckwheat) flour. According to official sources, all these people consumed food prepared with buckwheat on March 22, the first day of Navratri, at Dabana village of Modinagar in Ghaziabad. The victims were admitted to private and government hospitals with complaints of diarrhoea, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Talking to the media, victim Dinesh said, "I ate food prepared with Kuttu on the first day of Navratri. After some time, I started feeling dizzy. Then I went to sleep. When I woke up, my condition deteriorated. My family brought me to the hospital. We brought this wheat from a local shop in Saunda town of Modinagar." Bhawna, another patient in the hospital said, " at least five members of my family consumed Poori (bread) made from buckwheat out of which four people have been admitted to the hospital. Four of us consumed at least five pooris and soon after having the food, we all started feeling dizzy and suffered abdominal pain."

A family member of one of the victims said, "we were at Jeevan hospital with our patient when we noticed more patients coming to the hospital complaining about abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and dizziness. The influx of patients increased at around 2:00 am. The doctors started attending to patients. Those whose conditions worsened were referred to other hospitals and the rest were given treatment at the same hospital."

Ghaziabad Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Shubhangi Shukla also reached the hospital and took cognizance of the matter. Shubhangi said, "teams have been formed to collect samples of buckwheat from the shops mentioned by the patients. Those samples will be sent for testing. If any adulteration is found in the samples, then strict action will be taken against the supplier."

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Modinagar, Ritesh Tripathi said, "the Ghaziabad Police Commissionerate received information that around 17 people in Modinagar circle, who consumed food prepared with buckwheat flour on the first day of Navratri, showed symptoms of food poisoning. The condition of all the admitted people is said to be stable. The samples of the flour have been sent to the Food Department for testing. further legal action will be taken after the sample report comes."