TUMAKURU: An 11-year-old boy died and 12 others fell ill after consuming prasadam, at Veerabhadreshwara temple in Nidagallu village, in Pavagada taluk, on Wednesday. The deceased, Veerabhadra, died at the government hospital in Sira. His parents Tippeswamy and Prathima were shifted to the district general hospital here. The 12 others who took ill were admitted in hospitals in Sira.
District health officer Dr Chandrika rushed to the hospital in Sira and took stock of the situation. “The samples of the rations used, and urine and excreta of the victims have been collected and sent to the laboratory. The exact reason for the victims falling ill will be ascertained only after the reports arrive,” he clarified. District surveillance officer Dr Mohan Das also visited the victims and gathered information, and deputy commissioner Dr Rakesh Kumar K has sent a report to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
Locals said the victims, all relatives, are from Gunemoorabagilu village in Madakshira taluk, Anantapur district, from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. A group of 20 had gone to the temple on Monday, where they cooked rice, sambar, mudde and a sweet using water from a trough, which was allegedly not clean.
After completing the various rituals at the temple, they ate the food as prasadam, and returned home by evening. On Tuesday morning, they started feeling uneasy and nauseous, followed by diarrhea, for which they were treated.
However, when their condition did not improve, especially when the boy turned critical, they shifted him to the primary health centre at Baraguru village, where staff referred the case to the government hospital in Sira. Unfortunately, while shifted to the hospital, the boy passed away. The temple does not fall under the Muzrai Department, and is run by a private trust.