CHENNAI: The food safety department officials locked a restaurant – Bilal Biryani – on Triplicane High Road on Wednesday after around 20 people, who ate food from the restaurant, were hospitalised with complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea.
The officials inspected the restaurant after receiving a complaint from the Greater Chennai Corporation and also from a couple of affected people.
Speaking to TNIE, P Satheesh Kumar, designated food safety officer, Chennai, said the affected were admitted to the Communicable Disease Hospital (CDH) and various other private hospitals. The corporation officials complained after Communicable Disease Hospital started receiving patients from Monday evening onwards.
Satheesh Kumar said the restaurant was locked when the officials went to the place, and they couldn’t trace the owner as his phone was switched off.
They should not open the hotel without our knowledge, he said, adding the people ate shawarma and biryani and other food items from the hotel, after which they fell ill.
Satheeh Kumar further clarified the hotel is not a part of Bilal chain of restaurants.