MYSURU: A 45-year-old victim of the Suluvadi prasadam poisoning incident breathed his last here on Saturday taking the death toll the incident to 17. On December 14, poison-laced ‘tomato bhath’ was served to hundreds of devotees at the Kichugutu Maaramma Temple at Suluvadi in neighbouring Chamarajanagar district.
According to authorities, Rangan hails from Doreswamy Medu, Hanur taluq in Chamarajanagar district and was working as a daily wager. He breathed his last at 3:15 pm on Saturday at Suyog Hospital in the city.
According to sources, Rangan, his wife Eshwari and their 5-year-old daughter had the prasadam after their visit to the temple on December 14. While their 5-year-old child recovered, Eshwari is recuperating in the ICU of Narayana Hrudayalaya as she was taken out of ventilator yesterday.
According to S P Yoganna of Suyog Hospital, Rangan was very critical when he was brought to the hospital. “Due to high amount of poison intake, he suffered a cardiac arrest four days ago. Even though we were able to revive him in four minutes, the oxygen levels in his brain fell to dangerous levels damaging his brain stem,” said the doctor adding that despite their efforts to treat him, he breathed his last on Saturday after multiple organ failure.
Meanwhile, the condition of 18 people admitted in various hospitals in the city still remain critical. “We have three people on ventilator still of which one person is showing good improvement so we have initiated the process to take him out of ventilator but the two others are still critical,” said Dr Vaidyanathan of Cauvery Hospital.
“Out of the two people on ventilator, a woman who was very critical has become stable on Saturday. She is out of danger,” said Dr Sanjeev of Apollo.
According to Chamarajanagar district health officier K H Prasad, as on Saturday, a total of 36 people are still in hospitals out of which, 18 are critical, 4 are in ICU and 14 in ward. Five people including two children were discharged on Saturday.
Victim asked to abort
Five-month pregnant Soundharya from Bidrahalli, who was admitted in connection with the Suluvadi Temple poisoning incident, had to undergo an abortion after doctors noticed complications with the child. She had reportedly gone to the temple on that ill-fated day to have prasadam for the good health of her yet-to-be-born. She was recently discharged after recovering. The abortion was performed at the Kollegal General Hospital.