MUMBAI: Holi celebrations here were marred by colour poisoning, with at least 160 people hospitalised after they complained of severe skin irritation, breathlessness, boils on skin and nausea.
One of the first such case of large scale colour poisoning during Holi revelry here, the incident occurred at Dharavi, which is among the biggest slums in the city with a majority of the occupants being Tamils.
“About 80 per cent of the affected are children in the age group of five to 12 years.
Almost 50 of them are still in hospital,” said Varsha Gaikwad, local MLA and Minister for Women and Child Development.
She added that this was the first instance of colour poisoning in Dharavi.
The problem began after the revellers retreated to the households to wash off the colours in the afternoon.
Doctors at the civic hospitals where the affected were rushed to said colour poisoning was noticed when the patients came in touch with water.
Meanwhile, the police are investigating into where the colours used for the celebrations came from.