HT Correspondent
DIMAPUR, June 17: At least 43 villagers of Pongching village in Longleng district were taken ill due to alleged food poisoning after they consumed fish bought from a local shopkeeper. All the affected people were admitted at Longleng district hospital.
According to an official report on Saturday, on receiving information at around 11 am on June 16 that an incident of mass food poisoning happened among some villagers of Pongching, a police team led by Longleng SP went to the district hospital for a preliminary inquiry into the incident.
During their visit to the hospital, it was found that at least 43 people were admitted to the hospital with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea.
The report said it was also found that on June 14, a group of around 70 people from Pongching village bought fish from a local shopkeeper for taking with their meal during their work at a terraced paddy field the next day.
On June 15, they cooked the fish and consumed it at lunchtime. After consuming the fish, some of them complained of diarrhoea and abdominal pain in the evening and night, following which they went to the hospital.
Representatives from the food safety department and the Longleng Chamber of Commerce, along with police and civil administration officials, also visited the district hospital.
The officials collected samples of the cooked fish that the villagers had taken. They also collected cooked fish from the same stock of supply from the seller. The samples were sent to the food analyst of the state public health laboratory for comprehensive testing and analysis reports.
The statements of the doctors, affected people and the fish seller were recorded. The shop selling the fish has been sealed, the report said.
The government requested the public to cooperate and refrain from any rumour-mongering as investigation in the case is going on.
